Broken Worlds
by Heroine of the Valley
Summary: This takes place in the medival times when the world is under chaos and it is up to the Demon Seakers to save it. COMPLETED!
1. Prologue

**Broken Worlds **

**Prologue**

There was a time of darkness and evil.  It was back when people relied on their wits and their skills other than their guns and each other.  Trust was not easy in this time.  Demons lived everywhere and posed as humans.  Villages were massacred. Families were split apart and homes were destroyed.  This reign of pain went on for years, even decades but somehow, humanity has learned to survive and become stronger.  

The demons were too and they were not slowing down.

But soon, a group of young people will stand up to put an end to the slaughter.  They didn't know they were the chosen ones.  Fate has chosen them as the demon seekers.  They lived different lives but one day the demon seekers will come.  The fate of the world rested on their shoulders.  None of them believed that they would be the ones.  Two were gladiators in an arena of combat.  One was a card master.  There was even one living a simple life of a painter.  But life as they knew it was about to change.

Times were getting harder.  Famine, pestilence and poverty were common.  The suffocating darkness was getting thicker; making it impossible for crops to receive sunlight and make it's food.  But the special group of young people yearned and didn't give up, no matter what was thrown their way.  As a child, the one known now as the gladiator queen lived with only her mother to watch over her.  Her father left his wife and daughter alone.  The girl, Ruki, never knew why.  Did he stop loving his mother and her?  Did he find someone else?  Perhaps he did love them and left to find work or food.  Ruki's mother never told her why he left. 

Many a night, Ruki had nightmares of her father.  She kept calling him.  

_"Father, why are you going away?  Don't go!  Please stay with us!  Don't leave me all alone!"_

It didn't take long for her to resent her father for it and soon, all men.  Men made it hard for the women to live. They believed that they were better than them and made sure that the women knew it.  Ruki hated men, all men.  She made a vow that she will make all men everywhere pay.  She hated men and those who were weak.  When Ruki became ten, she ran away from her mother.  Her life there was just filled of bad memories and it wasn't easy living with her mother anymore.  It was no home to her.  

"I'll find my own way," Ruki told herself when she left her home.  "I'll show everyone."

But it wasn't as easy as Ruki believed.  Because the land was barren and food was scarce, Ruki became weak with hunger and she wasn't sure where to find food.  There wasn't much water and the water she found was stagnant and infecting from all the dead fish.  Though her body was weak, her spirit stayed strong.  She was one of the chosen to stop the evil destroying her world.  It was because of her strength that she became one.  Ruki wasn't going to let famine ruin her life.  She'd find out why there was no food. 

"It was the men," she told herself, "they took it for themselves."

Ruki one day collapsed in the desert and later was found by a band of slave traders.  She was just twelve years old.

"Why, look what I found," one of them said.  

"Wake her up," another said.  "Let's see if she knows how to have fun."

Before they touched her, one of the slaves broke free and attacked them.  This slave was also a chosen one.  His name was Ryo and a thirteen-year-old boy.

"Don't touch her," Ryo grunted.  He stood in front of her protectively.  

"How did you get free?" the slave trader demanded.

"Stop this!" shouted an angry voice.

"Yamaki."

The slave traders turned and looked at Yamaki.  He was a gladiator.  Not only was he a gladiator, but also he owned the arena, which held the battles.  He was traveling in the desert with one of his gladiators, Reika.

"Your slaves are now mine," Yamaki said.

"You can't do that."

"You plan to fight me?"

The slave trader groaned.  He knew that fighting Yamaki wasn't a wise choice.  "Fine, take them."

"You will all be gladiators in my arena," Yamaki said, "if you would rather take your chances with the desert then stay."

Ryo picked up Ruki in his arms and followed Yamaki to the arena.  She had no idea that a man had saved her life.

*****

Another one of the chosen had a hard life.  His name was Jenrya and when he was just ten years old, his family was killed and his house was burnt to the ground.  Only he and his sister survived.  Till this day, he still dreams about it.

There were noises outside the house.  A window broke and a torch was thrown inside.

"Father, what's happening?" Jenrya demanded.  "What's going on?"

"Jenyra, take your sister and get out of here!" His mother cried.

Jenrya heard his younger sister Shuichon screaming downstairs.  He ran down the stairs to Shuichon's room.  A torch was on her bed and began burning away her room and also the clothes she was wearing.

Thinking quickly, Jenrya threw a shirt on his sister to smother out the flames and rolled her on the ground.  He picked her up in his arms and she put her arms around his neck.

"Try to stay calm, Shuichon."

"I'm scared," Shuichon said.  "It hurts!  My back is still burning!"

"I'm going to get you out of here," Jenyra said and he ran out of the room.  All the windows were broken and torches were thrown inside.  Finding a way out wasn't easy.  He heard his parents fighting with the mobsters and he didn't know where his older brother and sister were.   "Jaarin? Rinchei?"

Jenrya ran out of the back just to see his brother Rinchei take a shot from an arrow and his older sister Jaarin being dragged away.

"Jaarin!"

"Jenrya, run!" she exclaimed.

"Get those two!" shouted one of the mobsters.  

"Run! Run!"

Shuichon pressed her face into her brother's shoulder as he ran away from the house to lose the mobsters in the woods. They gave up and left, taking Jaarin and a few teenage girls with them as slaves and whores. 

"Jenrya, where are they taking Jaarin?" Shuichon questioned.

"I don't know, Shuichon."

"Will we ever see her again?"

"I don't know." He kept moving then he stopped to take one last look at his home.

Shuichon glanced at their burning house.  "Jenrya, our home."

"Don't look at it, Shuichon," Jenrya insisted, turning her head.

"Everybody is gone!" she sobbed.

"There, there," Jenrya said as he patted his sister's head.  "We've got each other.  Don't worry.  Momentai."

"This can't be happening," she said. "I'll never forgive whoever did this!"

"Let's keep moving," Jenrya said.   "We've got to put some water on your burns."

****

For another boy, it was different.  He didn't run away and his house was not set on fire.  However, something did happen to his parents. They caught the plague and he did not know how to make them better.  He was just a child and doctors were slim.  Although he tried to heal them the best they could, they died within days, leaving them alone.

Miraculously, the boy never got sick.  He was somehow immune.  This eleven-year-old boy was a very creative and imaginative artist.  When his parents died, he had to live alone.  He wanted to be a soldier but he thought he was too weak.  He often drew soldiers, wizards and bounty hunters.  But he had no idea that he was a chosen one.  Many people loved his paintings and though money was scarce, they paid them what little gold they had.  While the boy was alone, he did have a friend.  A very close friend, Juri the barmaid and she was the sweetest girl he ever did meet.

He went there often, not just because the drinks and eats were good but because he liked her.  She had beautiful reddish brown hair and deep brown eyes.  When she was young, she had a pigtail on the left side of her head but as she matured, she put the ponytail into a bun.  Juri's mother passed away when she was only seven years old and her father had to take care of her.  Though he remarried and had a stepmother to also look after her, Juri did not let her take the place of her real mother. 

Juri had a secret.  She told no one about it and was sure no one knew.  Juri was a witch.  She got the abilities from her mother.  Juri was a different kind of witch.  She didn't make brews and potions and cast spells on people.  She didn't even own a magical wand.  Instead, she had magical cards, almost three dozen of them.  They belonged to her mother.  Right before her mother died, she told her what she was.  Her powers were more than the magical cards, but she knew how to cast spells.  Juri never learned how to enhance those powers and her father was not a wizard.  He was just a man and so Juri could only use the magical cards.  She worked with them whenever she had a chance.  Juri loved playing with the cards.  Some put a force field around her; others sent bolts of lightning and balls of fire.  

One day, Juri would put the cards into real use. But for now, she was just a barmaid.

****

As times got harder and injustice was being done, one boy felt compelled to do something.  Yes, he was just a boy but he was also one of the chosen ones.  This boy's name was Hirokazu.  Robbers would come and steal all of the villagers' possessions and the people never fought back.  Hirokazu wondered why.  They should fight for their land.  His friend Kenta felt the same way but believed someone else would come save them.

"Why don't we fight them?" Hirokazu asked Kenta when the robbers left again with some of their food and possessions.  "This is our land.  And those are our things they're taking!  Someday they'll throw us off our own land if we don't do something."

"But we're just kids, Hirokazu," Kenta said.  "We're only twelve years old."

"It doesn't matter," Hirokazu muttered.  "This is our home and we must defend it.  The adults here don't know how."

"And what do you expect us to do?" Kenta demanded, "that we become bounty hunters?"

Hirokazu grinned, "Kenta, that's an excellent idea."

Kenta gasped, "don't be crazy.  We'll get ourselves killed. Who will teach us to become bounty hunters anyway?"

"We find a guild," Hirokazu said, "and join them."

And that's exactly what the youngsters did.  They searched everywhere for a bounty hunter's guild.  It took them months but they eventually found a notice on a tree.

"Look to this," Hirokazu said, ripping it off the tree, "it's a reward for 10,000 gold pieces if this outlaw is caught."

"He looks scary," Kenta muttered.  

"Huyo Masuda."  Hirokazu said, "sounds familiar."

"Isn't he the one who…" Kenta looked at the face again, "wait a minute…"

"He's the ringleader of that band of robbers," Hirokazu said.  "It's time for our vengeance."

"How are we going to find him?" Kenta asked.

"We look.  Where do these people spend their time?"

"Uhh…"

"Stealing from innocent people, fool!" Hirokazu exclaimed, hitting Kenta in the head with the notice.  "There's got to be some kind of chain.  Ours isn't the only village he steals from."

"Shouldn't we keep looking for a guild to train us instead?" 

"We've done that," Hirokazu sighed, "maybe if people see us, they'll tell us where to go to find one."

They heard a woman screaming and smoke was rising to the south.  "I think I've found them."  Hirokazu said.  "Come on!"

He pulled on his friend's arm and they hurried in great pursuit of the village.  Just as Hirokazu expected, Huyo Masuda and his ring of robbers were getting ready to leave the village with a young woman on his horse.

"Oh no, what do we do?" Kenta asked.

Hirokazu felt something underneath his foot it was a rope.  "I have an idea."

As the band of robbers took the road, Kenta went to the other side of it.  They let the rope hang low on the ground and waited for the right moment.  

"Be careful not to hurt the girl," Hirokazu whispered, "she might kiss me after we save her."

"You?" Kenta demanded.

"It was my idea.  NOW!" The boys pulled hard on the rope when the horses came close.  They couldn't move and fell back.  Few of them ran away and the robbers stood up to see what happened.  Hirokazu and Kenta picked up rocks and threw them at the robbers, knocking them out.  The young woman got to her feet as Hirokazu and Kenta walked up.

"Are you all right?" Hirokazu asked.

"You saved my life!" she exclaimed, grabbing him by the face and pushing her lips against his.  Kenta frowned and then she turned to Kenta and gave him a kiss.  Kenta blushed.

"Are you bounty hunters?" she asked.

"Not yet," Kenta said and Hirokazu slapped his arm. "Ow!"

"We're working on that," Hirokazu said.  "We're looking for a guild. You know of one?"

"Maybe downtown," she replied, "You can collect your reward money there. Ask for the Bounty Hunter Guild named 'Raiden.'"

"Like the thunder god."  Kenta said.

The young woman nodded, "yes."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you.  Who are you?"

"Kenta."

"Hirokazu."

"Well, bounty hunters Hirokazu and Kenta," the girl said as she curtsied, "thank you for saving me.  I am Sakura.  I fare thee well."

The two nodded and left to collect their reward money and search for the Raiden Bounty Hunter Guild.  When Hirokazu told them that he and Kenta caught Huya and his robbers by themselves, they didn't believe them at first until they showed them the money.  It was more than enough proof.

The leader grinned, "welcome to Raiden, boys.  You're about to become real bounty hunters."

****

And now, our story begins.

**TBC**


	2. Walking With Animals

**Broken Worlds 1**

**Walking With Animals**

A year after their home was destroyed, Jenrya and Shuichon had to survive in the wilderness.  Shuichon was healed from her burns, but was left with a few scars and a deathly fear of fire.  At night when Jenyra made a fire, she stayed away from it even though he made it to keep them from catching cold.  But he was an understanding brother and he took off his coat and put it on her when she fell asleep and he stayed by the fire.  Every night, that's how it was.

Shuichon always loved animals.  While Jenrya was still sleeping, she got up to play.  She took off the coat he put on her and put it on him, kissed his forehead and ran off.  Even though the world was dying, Shuichon tried to stay in good spirits.  Not only did she love animals, the animals loved her too.  The young girl possessed a unique ability to communicate with them.  She saw a cute chocolate colored bunny and knelt down in front of it.  It looked up and twitched her nose.  Shuichon twitched her nose in return.  It hopped away and she paid special attention to the way it hopped.  Its feet were long and flat.  Shuichon looked at her feet and tried hopping like the rabbit, however, it was awkward for a human to jump like a rabbit and she tripped.

"Oh," she fumed, "I wish I could jump like a rabbit someday."  She got up and picked a few flowers.  Walking on a tree branch while she smelled some blossoms was a praying mantis.  She cocked her head, amazed by the way it could walk with such spindly legs and heavy upper body.  Not to mention it was carrying a piece of wood.

"I don't believe it," she said, "what an interesting creature." She laid out her palm and the insect crawled onto it.  "I've got to show Jenrya."

Jenrya was still asleep when she returned.

"Jenrya?"

He moaned but did not awaken.  She placed the praying mantis on his chest and he finally woke up. His face contorted in surprise.

"Eh--wha--"

"It's a praying mantis," Shuichon said before he panicked more.

"I know what it is," Jenrya grunted, "why is it on me?"

 "I was talking to it.  I told him I had a brother and it asked to meet you.  Interesting bug, isn't he?  I've never seen one before."

"It talked to you?" Jenrya asked, taking the bug off his chest.

"Yes.  You know that, Jenrya.  The animals talk to me."

Jenrya always thought his sister was playing when she said the animals talked to her.  He sighed, "Shuichon, animals don't speak."

"To me they do," Shuichon insisted.  "Every look, every move, has a meaning.  I know when the animal is sad or tired or hungry.  You can learn too, Jenrya."

"Shuichon…." He groaned.

A few birds flew overhead in frenzy as other animals ran passed them.

"Something's wrong," Shuichon whispered and she picked up a squirrel.  She didn't say a word, but her eyes did all the talking.  "Jenrya, something's coming! Something bad!"

"The squirrel told you that?"

"Yes."

A giant gray jackrabbit hopped onto the clearing.  It had incredible long sharp teeth and long floppy ears.  It opened it's mouth and made a loud, angry cry.  It wasn't cute like the chocolate bunny Shuichon just saw.  This one was scary.  Shuichon grimaced and held her ears.  To her surprise, and Jenrya's, the large animal started to speak.

"I've come to destroy everything!" it yelled, "and I'll start with you!"

"I told you animals could talk!" Shuichon cried.

"I heard it," Jenrya mumbled, "but I don't believe it." 

"What do we do?"

"We have to stop it," Jenrya said, "stay here!"  The boy charged the giant jackrabbit, remembering what his sensei had taught him.  The jackrabbit tried stepping on him, but he jumped out of the way and hit it's front leg.

"Jenrya, it's too big!" she exclaimed, "you'll never stop it!"

The jackrabbit hit Jenrya with an enormous ear and he fell down.  Shuichon closed her eyes.  She started wishing that her animal friends could help her.  

"Please help me," she whispered.  "If you can hear me, help me please!"  

From around, they heard her mental cry for help and they came to her aid.  Bears, birds, foxes and other animals came to attack the giant talking jackrabbit. Shuichon gasped, unable to believe it actually worked.  

"They came," Shuichon gasped, "they came."  Shuichon ran to her brother and started to rouse him.  "Jenrya, they came! The animals came to save us, I asked for their help and they heard me!"

Jenrya blinked, "You really can understand them and talk to them?"

"Yes," she said, "It's not a game anymore, Jenrya.  You must believe me.  I can talk to animals and they can talk back to me.  I really do understand!"

Jenrya sat up, "That giant jackrabbit, where did it come from?"

"I don't know."

"The others will come," The jackrabbit warned as the other animals came close to finishing him off, "there will be more!"

"More what?" Jenrya demanded.  "What others?"

The jackrabbit laughed, but was then defeated as a pair of leopards broke its neck.

"Others," Jenrya whispered, "others…"

"What do we do now?" Shuichon asked.  

"I'll have to teach you have to fight, Shuichon," Jenrya replied, "everything Sensei has taught me."

"But the animals saved us," Shuichon said, "They can do it again."

"That's right, but you can't always rely on them."  Jenrya explained, "We have to be ready for more creatures like the jackrabbit.  You've got a gift, Shuichon.  You can understand animals and that can help you learn how to fight like one."

"Fight like an animal?" she asked.

He nodded, "Sensei told me that many fighters study animals, the way they fight.  They observe animals like the praying mantis, the eagle and the crane.  But you can do more than just observe, they know who you are.  They can teach you."

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Shuichon mumbled.

"I know you don't, Shuichon.  But there will come a time that you'll have to fight like an animal.  When your animal friends are unreachable, and something has happened to me, it'll be up to you to defend yourself."

"I think I understand," Shuichon sighed, "Well, let's get ready."

Jenrya started teaching Shuichon with conditioning and building up her strength.  He put rocks in bags and tied them to a long stick.  She had to walk behind him for miles while holding the stick on her shoulders.  It was hard work, but she didn't want to upset her brother.  Every now and then she complained about being tired and needed a rest and because she was young, her brother would stop and give her something to drink before walking again.  

After the long walk, he had her lean against a tree with her back straight, as if she was sitting on an invisible chair.  Within a few seconds, her legs began cramping and she couldn't take it being in that position.  She slowly tried inching up a bit to stretch her legs.  But her action didn't go unnoticed and before she pushed up even two inches, Jenrya slammed the knife of his hand into the tree trunk right above her head and glared at his sister.  Shuichon grinned and inched back down.  Jenrya had her sit there extra time so that she would learn not to try it again.  

Around mid afternoon, they stopped conditioning for a light lunch and a little rest.  

"How am I doing, Jenrya," Shuichon asked after eating.  She was lying down on her back with a chipmunk on her tummy.

"I'm quite surprised.  It's a start but we have to practice like this every day."  Jenrya told her, "I also have to practice.  Sensei is no longer here to teach me so we'll have to teach each other now."

Shuichon sat up and nodded.  "I know.  I miss Mother and Father; Renchei and Jaarin."  The chipmunk was between her feet.

"I do too."

Shuichon sighed and looked up, "I think Jaarin's still alive, don't you?"

He shrugged, "maybe."

"I hope we find her."  Shuichon muttered, "I hate the men who did this.  I hate them."

Jenrya flinched.  He never heard his sister talk like that before.  

"I'll never forgive them for what they've done," Shuichon said.  "Let's practice now. What else can we do?"

"Follow me," Jenrya said, "I know a place that has a lot of rocks.  I go there many times to meditate and practice my fighting skills."

"I don't have to carry them, do I?" Shuichon asked as she followed him.  She looked at her hands, "I'm tired of rocks!"

"No, I just like to use them for my techniques," he responded.  They came to the spot near the waterfall.  There were many rocks, some large enough for them to jump on and off on, some they could climb and some were the perfect size to set things on.  Not only that, it was a very gorgeous place, regardless of the dying Earth.

Shuichon looked around astounded, "Jenrya, this place is beautiful!  I can see why you like to come here." 

 She turned to Jenrya, who was standing within a circle of stones.  One each stone was a lit candle.  Jenrya's eyes were closed and he had his palms together, concentrating.  Shuichon walked to the stones and watched him kick each one of the flames out with his eyes closed without getting burned.

"How did you do that?" she questioned.

Jenrya opened his eyes, "with practice and concentration."  He lit the candles again. "Now you try."

Shuichon shook her head and stepped back. "No, I can't."

"It can be done. You've just seen me do it."

"But I can't Jenrya. You know I'm afraid of fire."

"They're just candles, Shuichon," he told her.  "And they won't fall down and start a wild fire.  I'll be here incase something happens. Don't worry.  You'll have to face your fear of fire sometime and you can start with candles.  I'm not expecting you to jump through a campfire."

"Jenra," she muttered.

"I'm sorry."  He stepped out of the circle and took her hand.  "Don't worry, I won't let you get burned."

Shuichon looked at him doubtfully, "you promise?"

"Yes, I'll warn you if you come too close," Jenrya said, leading her into the circle.  "Close your eyes.  Just listen to the sound of the fire cracking.  Hold your hand out until you feel it's heat and strike.  It is only a small flame so it own't hurt so much."

"Easy for you to say," Shuichon mumbled, closing her eyes, "you din't have a torch fall on your bed."  She took in a deep breath and held her had out in front of her searchingly.  She came close to chinging herself and Jenrya seized her hand.

"Perhaps it will help if I do it with you," Jenrya said, holding her outher hand and closing her eyes.  "Now, breath in with me, Shuchon."

Brother and sister took in a deep breath together and let it out in unison.  Both of their eyes were closed, but not too tight.  Jenrya tried to get his sister to relax and get her body in tune with nature.  

"Concentrate," he whispered.  "Listen.  Feel."

"Jenrya, I--"

"Shh!"

He moved her hand around in a circle and when he felt heat nearby, he striked out the flame with her hand.  

"Did you feel that heat?"

"I feel heat everywhere."

"You're letting your fear of fire get to you, Shuichon," Jenrya said. "Nothing is going to happen.  Now I will move your hand around the circle and when you feel heat, strike the flame out."

"I can't."

"You can."

"I'll get burned."

"I won't let you burn yourself."  He moved her hand around the circle again and he paused at each flame but she was too scared to tell.  By the third round, as he went more slowly and moved her hand around the flame, she knew that the candle was there and stroke it out.  Jenrya pulled her hand back before she was burned.

"You did it, Shuichon."

"I did?"

"Yes.  Now let's keep going.  Don't forget to breath."

She came quicker to finding the flame and was able to kick and strike them out with out his help the second time he lit the candles.  As time went on, Shuichon became better.  She was able to walk beside her brother while holding the rocks instead of behind him.  She could jump from one rock, do a kick and land safely on a smaller rock.  She paid special attention to her other teachers, the animals.  When they fought for food or safety, she kept a watchful eye on how they moved, what sort of animals they faught against and the sounds they made.  Some animals even gave her a hands-on lesson on techniques and growls.

Then finally, 7 years later when Shuichon was fifteen and Jenrya was nineteen came the day when Jenrya told Shuichon to fight him.  

"You've learned a lot over the years, Shuichon," Jenrya said, "and you've proved yourself as a fighter.  When the others like that the giant jackrabbit came, we were ready for them."

"Yes.  The horse, the snake, ox, tiger, sheep, and monkey."  She recalled.  "Have you noticed something familiar about them?"

He shrugged, "Giant talking animals?"

"They're animals of the Chinese Zodiac," Shuichon explained, "We've fought 7 of them.  There are 5 left: the dragon, rat, rooster and boar and dog."

Jenrya blinked.  He'd never thought of that.  "That's brilliant, Shuichon. You're right.  They are the animals of the zodiac.

"And for each animal stands an element: Fire, metal, wood, earth and water."

"You remember this?" he asked, "from mother and father?"

"Yes, but not just from them," she said, "from my animal friends.  And after each animal we fought, I found a piece of whatever element they were in the very spot they died.  I put the water I found from the horse and snake in a bottle.  From the ox and tiger I found metal."  She picked up a metal tiger and threw it at him; "I made it into a necklace for you.  I know you like the tiger fighting technique the most, next to the praying mantis."

"Thank you," he said, putting it on his neck.  "What about the others?"

"The sheep was fire. But…I couldn't go near it to make it into anything."  She sighed, "I waited until the fire went out and I picked up the dead grass they died onto.  The monkey was earth.  And the first one, the rabbit was wood."  She pulled out a wooden charm made into a rabbit.  "And since I favor the rabbit so much, I made a wooden necklace for me."

"You fight like a rabbit sometimes," Jenrya said.

She blinked, "I do?"

"Yes," he nodded.  "Now, I want you to fight me, little rabbit."  He got into a stance.

She giggled, "I can't fight you, brother."

"Fight the tiger or you'll become its dinner."  He insisted in his tiger stance

"You look so funny--what!" he struck her with his palms.  "Jenrya!"

"I didn't hurt you too hard," he said, "fight me, rabbit.  There will be other fighting tigers and snakes and cranes that you'll have to get pass."  He lunged at her again and she jumped to the side. She grabbed his hand and he pushed on hers, unbalancing her. 

"Hey!" she gasped, trying to regain her balance.

He pulled out his palm to her chin and before he could deliver a blow she pulled out her arm from his grasp, dropped to her back and pushed him in the chest with both feet. 

'I am a rabbit,' she thought, 'with very large and powerful feet!'  She pushed him back farther, harder and she was amazed to see him fall back about five feet.  Over the years, her legs have gotten stronger and tighter.  She kept in mind that she was a rabbit with powerful jumping and kicking legs but now she feared that she had made them too strong.

"Jenrya?" she pushed on her hands and landed to her feet in a kip, hurried to him.  "Jenrya, did I hurt you?"

Jenrya groaned, pushed himself up and rubbed his chest.  He grinned at his younger sister.  "You do have big feet, little rabbit."

Shuichon laughed and pulled on his arm to help him to his feet.

"Well done, Shuichon," he said, "you defeated the tiger, Kicking Rabbit."

"Hurray!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around his neck.  "Let's do it again!"

Jenrya nodded, "as you wish, Kicking Rabbit."

As they took their places to spar again, they were unaware they were being watched.  There was a young woman in the woods with a big dog that stood by her shoulder.  She wore a black dress; her hair was blond in long pigtails.  Her pet growled lowly and she petted him.

"Good," she whispered, "they're preparing themselves.  It won't be long now."

****

Shuichon and Jenrya were not the only one's preparing themselves. The gladiators, Ruki, the gladiator queen and Ryo, the gladiator queen, were also in battle.  It did not take long for them to become the best.  As soon as they came to the battling arena, they fought like animals.  Ruki was fond of battle and weapons.  Her raw strength techniques may not be the best, but her knowledge and use of different weapons were uncanny.  Now, after fighting those of the same sex and being dubbed gladiator king and queen, came the day to fight each other.  Ruki was looking forward to this day.  She was tired of the weak, unworthy opponents.  The time has finally come to face off with the king and destroy him. She paced back and forth behind the gate, clenching her sword in her hands.  Her patience was wearing thin.

Her waist-length red hair was pulled back in a spiky ponytail. It flared all around, untamed and very thick.  She wore metal breast plate and the rest of her armor was leather.  

'Soon,' Ruki thought to herself, 'Soon you will show all the world you are not one to trifle with! You will not just be the gladiator queen, but gladiators of gladiators. You'll rule everything! Patience, Ruki, patience.'

The other side was not as excited.  Ryo, the gladiator king, wished, prayed that this day would never come.  He always had a special place for Ruki in his heart, though he knew that she hated men.  It didn't matter to him.  He loved her.  He loved her since the day he laid eyes on her.  He too was in plate armor and wielded a two-handed sword.  His deep brown hair reached his shoulders.

"I don't want to hurt her," he whispered herself, "and I don't want to die at her hands.  Not since I never got the chance to--"

The gate opened.  It was time.  He slowly stepped out of the gate onto the arena.  The men's cheers and hoots did not matter to him. He could barely even hear them. He wished that it wasn't really happening.  It was a dream.  It had to be.

But as the gate opened for Ruki, she ran out instead of walking.  When the women cheered at her, she cried back, hooting, hollering and screaming at the men to be quiet if they knew what was good for them.  

"Today is the day of my destiny!" she screamed, "today you will see the gladiator king die!"  She charged at him with her weapon and though he was just standing there, he was ready for attack.  

He let out a sigh, raised his sword and clashed it with hers.  Ruki was angry and hated men.  He tried to remember that.  Why should he try not to hurt her when it mattered not?  She shall never be his.  He made the first hit across her leg. She jumped back in surprise.

"You cut me?" she asked, "now is your time to bleed!" she charged him and got him in the shoulder.  Time progressed and both parties took hits.  Ruki was speed; Ryo was strength and endurance.  He swiped and cut her forehead.  Blood dripped into her eyes.

"No!"

Ryo stopped and stepped back, waiting for her to attack back.  But she tried wiping the blood away as she sank to her knees.   She was growing tired after the battle.  He was too strong for her, though she didn't want to admit it.

'Is this the end of the gladiator queen?' she thought. 'No, I cannot lose. I will not lose. Not to a man!'  
Tried as she could, she could not get up. The woman side of the crowd shouted at her to get up, though few of them said she wasn't much of a queen anyway. The men side kept saying for the gladiator king to hurry and finish her.   
The gladiator king would not move. He too was very injured. For a woman, Ruki the gladiator queen was very strong, not to mention fast. They fought each other for almost an hour. The shouts disoriented him and he was dizzy. His weapon fell from his hand.  
'If I kill her, it will be the end of the gladiator queen,' he thought. 'Then there will no one to take her place. She was an inspiration to all women. I can't kill her. She didn't really lose. We both won.'  He tried to think of a solution for them both to live.  He didn't want to kill her and if she killed him without her ever knowing the truth of his feelings for her, he just could not bear the thought.    
"What are you doing?" one of the gladiator trainers demanded. "FINISH HER!"  
"No," Ryo said. "I cannot. The fight is over. It ended in a tie. We are both equal fighters."  
"Equal?" Ruki questioned. "Do what they say and finish me! One of us is going to die."  
Ryo ignored her and turned to the crowd, "do you really want to see the end of the gladiator queen? After the great fights she showed you? I promise you, that you will never see a better battle if she dies today!"  
"Then what do you suggest?" Yamaki, the arena owner demanded.  
"What if we fight not against each other," Ryo said, "but together, side by side."  
Yamaki raised an eyebrow and Reika stood up.   
"I agree with him," she said. "After all, beside every king, stands a queen."   
"And a king without a queen is like a gladiator without a queen," added the woman next to her, " the gladiator cannot fight and the king cannot reign."  
"If the gladiator queen and I fight together as one the battles held here will only be better," Ryo shouted, "remember the battles we fought alone? Do you remember how good we were? No gladiator here was more skilled. Think of it. Imagine how great it will be."  
The crowd looked around and talked. Many thought it was a good idea. The gladiator king and queen put on many great performances just alone and if they were a team, they would be magnificent.  
However, one person did not agree.  
"Are you insane?" Ruki demanded. "I refuse to fight along side a man! Finish me off now or perish!"

Ryo turned and groaned. Ruki would rather die at a man's hands, than fight by his side.  It was hopeless.

**TBC**


	3. Dethroned Queen

**Broken Worlds 2**

**Dethroned Queen**

"I don't want to hurt you," Ryo whispered.

"Then," Ruki moaned as she pushed herself back on her feet, "all the easier for me to finish you off!  Prepare to die, Gladiator King!"  She walked to him, trying to find more strength to finish him.  As she raised her sword to him, he grabbed his arm and shook it away.  

"It's over, Ruki," he said.  "They'll make me kill you!"

"Do it!  Only one of us is going to leave the arena," she said, "and the only way I'm leaving here is if I bathe in your blood or drown in my own!"

"You've already done that."  He told her.  "I bathed in yours too. It's over.  Just give up."

"Never."

"Will it be so bad to fight next to me?"

"I'd rather die!"

"Forgive me," he said, pulling back his fist and punching her in the face hard enough to knock her unconscious.  She passed out and he let her fall but he wanted, ached to hold her and tell her that he loved her.

Immediately, men in the crowd demanded to finish her.  Ryo just walked away.  "If you want her dead," he said, "then get the executioner to do it.  I'm not touching another hair on her head.  Disqualify her, punish her with death or make her leave, but I've fought her and I refuse to kill her."

"She'll never fight here again," Yamaki said.

"I know."

He sighed, "so be it.  The execution will be at dawn.  You're the victor, Ryo the Gladiator King."

The crowd began to cheer. "HAIL THE GLADIATOR KING!"  Ryo could barely hear the cheers. He drowned them out as he saw guards enter the arena to get Ruki through the corner of his eye.  His chest tightened and tears swelled up in his eyes.  The guards picked her up rather roughly.

"Careful with her!" Ryo barked instinctively.  

The guards looked at him in shock and carried her inside to a cell until her death in the morning.  Ryo sighed and clenched his fist.  Why did Ruki hate men so much?  He just didn't understand it.  He was madly in love with her and saved her life a couple of times? Hid she not see that?  He saved her before they became gladiators and on a few occasions inside the training arena and again today.  He wanted nothing more than to have her by his side.  If not in his arms, then at least by his side.  

Now, her hate of men will become the death of her. If she had only accepted Ryo's proposal, she would've lived. Yes, fighting along side a man may be different, maybe even preposterous and stupid, but the man loved her.  How could she even hate the man that loved her more than anything on Earth?  It didn't matter now.  She only had twelve hours left to live.  Ryo ignored the praises and cheers and even his rewards for defeating the gladiator queen and left to his quarters.  His queen, his everything, will die first thing in the morning and he didn't know what to do.  He felt compelled to save her again as he always did when she was in the least bit of danger.  But what could he do? She hated men and him especially.  If he offered to help her escape she might spit right into face.  

He groaned at sat up from his bed.  He raked his brain over and over for a way to save her.  Then, around midnight, an idea struck him.  It might be a little risky and he'd be executed himself for it, but he didn't care.  He just wanted to get her out of the arena as quickly as possible.

"I'm coming for you, my queen," he said as he left his room.

*****

Ruki had woken shortly after the guards placed her in the cell and now she was unable to fall asleep again.  It wasn't her usual room.  She was sitting on a cold stone floor with her hands shackled to the wall.  Fear gripped her, even though she was a gladiator and have faced many frightening things.  Ruki tried shaking her arms to break free from the wall but it was no use.  She bit her lip and tried not to cry.  She heard a news outside the room, like a muffled gasp and hard smash.  Her fear rose higher and she shook her arms again.

Someone was coming in to kill her while she was unable to defend herself. Her heart raced and she kept telling herself not to panic.

A key entered the keyhole and she moved back in the wall.  The door came unlocked and started to open.  Ruki forced to show that she was unafraid.

"Who are you?" she demanded.  "What do you want?"

"It's just me," answered a familiar, quiet voice, "my queen." Ryo entered the room and approached her.

"You!" she hissed.

He put his finger to his lips, "Shh. They're going to kill you in the morning."  He knelt down in front of her.

"What?"

"They've sentenced you to death."

"Oh," she said, "then at least I'll go honorable."

"You want them to?"

"It's better than being next to you for the rest of my life," she snarled.

"You won't even try to escape?"

"I've tried," she said, shaking her arms.  "But…the chains are too strong, even for me.  I've fought all my life and I'm ready to die.  I'm not afraid."

"Then can you answer some questions for me?"

She glared at him, un-answering. He asked her anyway.

"Why do you hate men?" he asked.  "What happened?"

"I just do!" she shouted in a whisper.  "Damn you for asking me that! You've got no right!"

"There may be some selfish, evil men in the world," Ryo stated, "but I swear that I am not one of them."

"I don't care."  She muttered bitterly. "I hate them. I hate men, all of them."

"So you would hate all men," Ryo questioned, still unable to understand, "all men, even there was one among them that loved _you?_"

"There's nothing you can say to change my mind."

"My queen--"

"Quit saying that!" she growled, "I'm not your queen!  I belong to no one!"

But he was just as hard headed as she was.  "But you are my queen."  He insisted, "There's no one else I want. You're strong, beautiful and some day I'll hope you'll understand."  He moved closer to her, pinned her arms down to her sides with his arms and pulling her close to him. She started to wiggle and even spat in his face.

"Let me go!" she hissed.

Ryo didn't let go.  He held her even tighter.  "If you wish to die tomorrow, then I want to say goodbye to my queen."

"I'm not your queen!" she yelled. "Stop calling me--mmphh!"

Ryo planted his mouth on hers and she now startled to struggle even harder. She tried pulling her arms up but she could only move her hands and the fact that they were chained to the wall didn't help much either.  Pushing him away was useless.  He was still too strong and she was tired, weak and sore from the battle.  The more she fought, the more he held on to her. She tried to imagine it wasn't happening, that she was somewhere far away.  She wanted to believe that he wasn't really there with her, holding her in his arms, kissing her.  His tongue--and the taste of it--moving freely in her mouth was only an illusion. It couldn't be happening. She tried hard not to give in, not to become emotional and kiss back and run her hands up and down his back.  She resisted the temptation with all her heart because she knew that was what he was just trying to do.  He wanted to get some affection back but she wasn't going to give any, no matter how good the kiss may have been.  He moved a hand to her hair and scrunched it between his fingers.  She felt his chest heave and knew he was either emotional or running out of air.  The kiss was great, unimaginably wonderfully exciting but she told her self not to think that. She was not like other women who longed to be kiss.  Then, when it was over, she fought not to pout for more.

He took in a deep breath and she glared at him as he got to his feet. 

"Why you--" she began.

"Goodbye, my queen," he said, "I'll always love you."  He turned on his foot and left her alone.  

"I'm not your queen!" she growled.  The kiss was so heavy she could still feel his tongue in her mouth. But it wasn't his tongue. "Hmm?" There was an object in her mouth and she lifted her hand to spit it out.  She gasped as she looked into her palm to find…

"A key?" she whispered.  She looked at the door he just walked out of and back to the key in her palm.  She squeezed her hand over it and almost threw it far to the other side of the cell and stopped.  He had passed the key to her mouth from his so that she could use it to escape.  Again, he was trying to save her.  She didn't like the idea accepting a man's help. She didn't accept help from anyone.  If she just sat here and waited until dawn, they'll kill her and she'll be free of him.  She'll be free of all men.  She wanted to die, to put an end to her suffering.

She looked at the key again, trying to decide whether to use it or not.  Then, a thought occurred to her, if she allowed herself to die and then it would be the end of the gladiator queen.  The things she'd learned in the arena will not have a chance to be shown elsewhere.  There were still more men she wanted to slay.  She couldn't allow herself to be put to death.  Oh no, the world has just begun to see what she could do.  There was much more, much, much more.  She'll make her own weapons and armor.  No more battled in arena, but in the real battlefield outside the arena where others would be watching.  Her battles would not be chosen for her.  She'll chose them her own. There was much bigger fish to fry out there.

A grin spread across her face and she unlocked the shackles from her wrists.  "Thank you, my king."  She tiptoed to the door, opened it slowly and looked both ways.  She took long, quiet strides to the exit and taking one last look at the gladiator arena, the place she called home for the last seven years, she climbed the gate and sprinted away.  After running for some time, she stopped to catch her breath by a stream.  She knelt down and cupped the water in her hands to drink.  The moon reflected on the water.  Ruki heard strange noises but she was not afraid of them.  

"I must not show fear," she told herself.  "I will slay demons, men and those who stand in my way.  But whom shall I call myself?  I'm not the Gladiator Queen anymore.  It will only be a matter of time until someone takes my place."  She sighed and leaned back a large rock to rest.  Hearing footsteps, she awakened and jumped to her feet.  "Who is there?"

Expecting a man or a demon, she turned ready to defend herself. Movement caught her eye and she looked up at the cliff on the other side of the stream.  It was no demon or man, yet a fox. A white fox that glistened silver and blue in the moonlight.  The creature looked at Ruki and Ruki looked back, as if they were communicating with their eyes.  Then the fox walked to the water to drink and ran away, with Ruki watching.

"That was the most beautiful fox I've ever seen," she said breathlessly.  She gasped, "That's it!  A fox."  She looked up at the moon and back at the way fox had retreated.  It was slightly passed midnight and the first creature she saw since she left the arena was a fox.  It was perfect to call herself after the time and the animal of the day she left the arena. "Midnight.  Fox.  From this day forward, I shall be known as the Midnight Fox.  I will not rest until the world is rid of every man and demon!"

Immediately, she picked up the sand from the streambed and made it into clay.  She hardened the clay and shaped it into a shape of a fox's head. After living in the arena for most of her life, she learned how to make weapons and armor.  She made blue paint and painted the dried clay fox head, which she planed to wear as a mask. When the paint dried, she took leather strips and put it on the back of the mask. She took her hair down, shook it and tried the mask on for size. It was a perfect fit.  After killing deer and skinning them, she created leather boots, gloves and an armor top and a loincloth then painted them blue, like the fox had looked under the moonlight.  She took three long and sharp strips of metal and attached them to a metal fragment around her wrist.  She tested its strength on a tree trunk and grinned after leaving three deep gashes in its bark.

"What's a fox without a set of claws?"

She then made a scimitar, a short curved sword; and bows an arrows.  But they were not ordinary arrows. The arrowheads were diamond, diamonds she found in a cave.  After creating her weapons, armor, cape and mask, she stood over the stream to admire herself.

"It's time for the fox to hunt," she said, slashing the air.

***

The next day when the guards went to get Ruki, they found her missing.  "She's escaped!  How could she escape?"

They sounded the alarm and alerted everyone, but only Ryo knew how she left and was quite surprised.  While everyone was shocked by her disappearance, he stood on the roof looking out to the wilderness with a smile on his face.

'I don't believe it,' he thought, 'she accepted my help and escaped.' 

Though he was happy about her escaping and that she was free from the execution, he was saddened also.  He let out a sigh, looking out to where she may have gone.  He ached to be near her. Someone walked up to him.

"I know the truth."

"What?" Ryo looked behind his shoulder to see Yamaki.  

"You let her escape, didn't you?" he asked.

Ryo sighed and looked back at the wilderness, "so, you'll execute me, wont' you? Kill the Gladiator King?"

"No.  Instead, I'll give you permission to leave."

"Leave?"

"That's what you were thinking about, weren't you?" Yamaki grinned and nodded passed the arena.  "You were wondering where she ran off to."

Ryo nodded somberly.  

"If you want her, then go and find her."

"She hates men."

"You saved her life," Yamaki said, "once she realizes that there'd be one last man in the world she would hate."

"You'll let me leave the arena, just like that?" Ryo questioned, turning to Yamaki.

"I think I've trained you well enough," Yamaki said, "You can handle anything out there.  Time for me to train the newcomers."

Ryo grinned and glanced out to the wilderness again.  Yamaki put his hand on his shoulder, "Go after your queen.  There's nothing left for me to teach you anyway."

"Thank you," Yamaki stepped back, bowed and left, with Yamaki smiling after him.  When he went back inside, he met with Reika.

"So they're both gone," she said.

Yamaki nodded, "I knew from the start they were the chosen ones.  The demon seekers."

"You think he'll find her?"

"Oh he will," Yamaki said, "I know he will."  
****

It was beyond human ability to go days without sleeping, but Ruki was able to do it.  It was hard at first but became easier for her.  All she did was fight and kill and sometimes she would eat.  The way she thought people feared her for a demon posing as a woman.  They were half right.  Ruki became so full of hate towards men that she became a slave to her own hatred.  It consumed her and she became bloodthirsty.  After killing a demon, it influenced her with its dark spirit and making it able for her to go without sleep or food or even water.  She killed in the night.  She killed in the day.  Ruki could not stop.  After a battle she hungered for another and another.  She was never satisfied.  She didn't care of the man she killed was a father or a brother or a son.  It mattered not how good or bad the man was, she just wanted him dead.  She didn't attack women first but if they got in her way to protect their brother, son or husband or lover, she killed them first so that she wouldn't have any disturbances.  There was a bounty on her head for over 10,000 gold pieces but no one was brave enough to capture her, except for the Raiden Bounty Guild. The leader of the bounty guild, Michio, commanded all his bounty hunters to go and find her before another innocent man was assassinated.  Hirokazu was ecstatic.  He grew bored of capturing thieves and robbers and the occasional killer, but he longed for a challenge. His partner, Kenta, however, tried to talk him out of it.  No matter what he said, didn't get through to him and here they sat in Juri's tavern until they got a lead.  

"Perhaps we should look for the thieving siblings Makoto and Ai?" Kenta suggested.

Hirokazu nearly choked on his ale.  "Theives? I'm tired of thieves!  I bet this Mokoto and Ai are just a poor brother and sister trying to survive the only way they know how, stealing!"

"But Hirokazu," Kenta said, "they could turn up like Huyo and his gang!"

"Look, they're just kids, now if they steal things from people and then slit their throats, maybe I'd look into it."  Hirokazu said.  "There's a difference between thieves and robbers!"

"There is?"

"Yeah, a thief steals something when you don't know it and a robber demands that you give him money or he'll kill you! Do the math!"  He groaned.

"We'll never find a lead here," Kenta said, "We've been here for hours!  I think you just like flirting with the barmaids."

"Another round, my good sirs?" Nikari asked, one of the barmaids with bluish-black hair in a bun.

{Author's note: Remember the girl Jeri was with when Takato was telling Kenta and Kazu about digimon and Jeri asked if that was all they think about?  Then Jeri said, "come on Nikki, let's go do some more important things." And she replied, "Well, you know, Jeri, kids will be kids?" Or something like that…well, I think they're best friends so I decided to put her in the story and give her a more Japanese name}

"Certainly, Nikari," Hirokazu said, winking at her and she giggled.  She gave them two more mugs of ale. 

"Oh, you're so brave to track down Midnight Fox," Nikkata said, "She's a real outlaw."

Hirokazu puffed out his chest, "I know.  But don't worry we'll find her and put her to justice."

"As soon as we find a lead," Kenta mumbled, making Hirokazu groan.  "Besides, some people say Midnight Fox isn't really a woman, but a demon in disguise. We've got to be careful."

"Shut up!" Hirokazu muttered.

"But it's true," Kenta said, "She hates men!  Maybe we should get one of the women to do it!"

"No way!" Hirokazu yelled, "I'm not letting someone else get my money!  I'm going to be the one to capture Midnight Fox!"

"Then I wish you luck," Juri said, walking up to their table with some empty mugs on a tray.  "I've never seen her, thank goodness.  She would've been after my father and half brother, but those who _have_ seen her, see nothing more."

"You mean, they go blind?" Kenta asked, bewildered.

Hirokazu bonked his friend on the head, "no, idiot!  Juri means is that the Midnight Fox kills them!"

"Do you have good weapons?" Juri questioned.

Hirokazu patted his crossbow, "oh, yes.  I have different crossbow bolts too.  Some can paralyze."

"Good," Juri said with a nod, "but not good enough."

"Not good enough?"

"Are you a bounty hunter too?"

"No, but," Juri whispered, "I know a little about battle.  I see a fight here almost every night."  Juri giggled.  "I hope you get a lead, I really do.  It's only a matter of time until she kills again."

****

Juri was right.  Midnight Fox was about to kill again.  She was coming close to Jenrya and Shuichon's campsite.

"I'll go get some water," Shuichon stated, picking up the bucket.  "I think we'll have stew tonight."

"Rabbit stew?" he asked with a grin.

Shuichon face faulted, "Jenrya, that's not funny!" She playfully hit him with the bucket.  "But we'll have carrots in the stew. They're good for your eyes."

"How did you know that?"

"Rabbits told me," she replied and ran off to the creek.  Jenrya remained by the fire, and he was about to learn that it was wrong.  He didn't feel alone anymore.  

"Shuichon, back from the creek already?" he asked.

He heard something whiz by his ear and land by the ground.  Jenrya hunkered down to see it.  It was an arrow, with a diamond for an arrowhead.  "A diamond arrow head?"

Someone jumped out of a tree and he whizzed around to see the Midnight Fox.

"Time to die!"  She charged him and he got out of the way.  Her claw got lodged in a tree but she managed to bring it out.  

"Why…you are…"

"That's right, I'm the Midnight Fox!" she exclaimed, swiping his arm, "and you will be one less man in the world!"

Down by the creek, Shuichon had now idea her brother was in danger.  "I should put bugs in his stew for saying such a thing." She muttered, putting her pail in the water.  "I guess that's just what brothers do."

A raccoon came up to her and pushed the pail into the water.

"Why did you do that for?" she demanded.  

A few birds landed on her head.

"Hey, stop?  I can't play now," she said, "I have to make dinner.  I'll play with you tomorrow."

More animals came to her. A jackal pulled on her pant lead.

"What's going on?" she questioned as she got up.  "I told you all I can't play now."

The jackal took her hand in his mouth carefully and started walking back to the campsite as other animals pushed her forward.  Then Shuichon gasped when they told her.

"Jenrya's in trouble?" she asked.  "Why didn't you tell me so?"

She heard him scream from the campsite.

"Jenrya!" Shuichon cried, pulling her wrist from the jackal's mouth and breaking into a run.  She jumped over a fallen log and her animal friends followed her.  If it weren't for her animal friends, she might be too late.  She came just in time to see Midnight Fox about to finish her brother.  Midnight Fox had him pushed up against a tree with her right and her left, was raised in the air ready to stab him through with her claw.  Jenrya couldn't move.  She was too strong, unbelievably strong.  He looked up at her with his silver-gray eyes and as Midnight Fox looked into the eyes, she paused.  

'Why is he looking at me like that?' she thought, 'Argh, those eyes!'

_"What are you doing, fool?"_ demanded an angry, inhuman voice in her head, _"destroy him!"_

Jenrya noticed her stop.  'Why hasn't she killed me yet?' he thought.  'Doesn't she want to?'

'I can't,' Midnight Fox thought.

_"Do it!"_

She gave head to the voice in her mind and went to finish him through.  But before she could move her arm, she heard, and felt a jump and something landing right next to her.  Something grabbed her arm.

She turned to see Shuichon.  As Shuichon held her wrist, she felt something strange and evil inside Midnight Fox.  Shuichon twisted her arm and kicked her in the ribs so hard that she flew back six feet.

"Jenrya, are you all right?" Shuichon asked her choking brother.

"She's...too…strong…" he gasped.   "Shuichon, look out!"

Midnight Fox got up and Shuichon went to kick her again.

"Careful, Kicking Rabbit!" Jenrya exclaimed.

"Kicking Rabbit?" Midnight Fox asked with a chuckle.  "You know that rabbits are food to foxes?"

"Not this rabbit," Shuichon snarled with her teeth clenched.  "And I'm not just a rabbit, I am every animal!"

Shuichon prepared to strike Midnight Fox with a snake technique but Midnight Fox grabbed her fist, picked the girl up and tossed her to the ground.

"You will pay for getting in my way," Midnight Fox growled, walking to Shuichon as she tried to get up.

  Shuichon feared that Midnight Fox was really a demon inside a woman's body.  The mask was to hide the ugly, hideous face and once the demon got close to her, it would take off the mask and devour her.  She forgot everything her brother taught her.  Every tactic she learned from watching animals all her life left her mind.  Shuichon was scared out of her wits to defend herself.  Because of her fear, she and her brother were going to die.  

'I'm sorry, Jenrya,' she thought.

"And just for that," Midnight Fox said, "you will die first!" 

Shuichon closed her eyes, waiting for the weapon to go through her body.  She heard the sick, plunging sound but she didn't feel anything.  Shuichon was afraid to open her eyes but she opened them anyway. She looked up and saw…

"Jenrya!  No!"

****

**_To Be Continued_**


	4. Fight Like an Animal

**Broken Worlds 3**

**Fight Like an Animal**

"Jenrya--no!" Shuichon gasped.  "Jenrya!" She stared in shock to see her brother in front of her with three razor sharp objects sticking out of his chest dripping with his blood--her brothers, the only brother she had left--blood.  He had thrown himself in front of her when the Midnight Fox was about to attack.  The Midnight Fox stabbed through his back and a lung was punctured.  He fought to breath, to hold his head up.  Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth.  She had almost punctured his heart.

"Jenrya, why did you do it?" she asked, close to sobbing.

"Because you're," he winced, "my sister. Run, Shuichon.  Run, you're…safe now."

Shuichon put her arms around him and pulled him off the claw. His blood stained her shirt as she embraced him.  

"I can't leave," she whispered.  She could feel his warm blood dripping on her.  "Oh, Jenrya, hold on.  You must hold on!  You can't leave me alone like this. You're all I got!"

Midnight Fox, however, stood just as shocked as Shuichon was.  She looked at her claw that was now stained with Jenrya's blood.  'He put his life at risk for his sister,' she thought.  'It's unbelievable.  Men are not like that, are they?'

Shuichon looked up at Midnight Fox with her eyes filled with resentment.  "Why?" she demanded. "Why my brother? Why Jenrya?"

"Because he's a man," she replied.

"He's a man? Is that the only reason?"

"All men must die."

Shuichon sneered.  "Why must you kill all men?  Even the good ones? Why not the ones rode in my village and attacked my home? Why not the ones who put these scars all over my body?  Why not the men who killed my brother Rinchei and kidnapped my sister Jaarin?  Why not them? Why did you have to take _Jenrya?"_

"I've taken the lives of others," Midnight Fox said, "even women."

"Yes, I've heard of you, Midnight Fox," Shuichon said, "the infamous assassin.  You kill mostly men but you've killed women too." She felt her anger rise by the moment.  Every animal tactic she had learned over the years came to her mind again and she felt like an animal herself.  Not just a rabbit, but also a tiger, a bear, a snake, a crane, she was all fighting animals.  "You will end taking lives now, you hear me?  Jenrya will be the last life you take! Prepare yourself, Midnight Fox!" she put her brother down on his side so dirt would not infect the wound on his back and chest.  "I have been taught well, and I just don't mean my brother!  This is your last man hunt, Midnight Fox!"  

"Shuichon, don't," Jenrya pleaded weakly. He winced as he felt something move across his wound.  It was the tongue of a panther.  Shuichon's animal friends were here to help.  The panther was licking his wounds.

Shuichon pulled her feet back twice like a bull, tightening her fists at her sides.  She hissed like a snake and growled like a tiger.  Fire in her eyes, she charged Midnight Fox, leaped up in the air and kicked her in the face.   Midnight Fox's mask broke and Shuichon saw the truth behind the mask.

"You're a woman," Shuichon whispered as Midnight Fox held her hand to her scratched face and removing the last bit of mask.  She was sneering just as Shuichon was, "you're not a demon. You're a woman!  Just like me!  I have no reason to fear you, you, you evil bitch!"  
"Oh, yes you will," Midnight Fox muttered, "you've cut my face and for every cut, I'll give you a broken bone!"

"Not if you can't catch me!" Shuichon snarled, jumping back and rebounding off of a tree.  She landed behind Midnight Fox and attacked with an eagle technique.  The Midnight Fox jabbed at Shuichon with her claw but Shuichon ducked and kicked her in the shins.  The Midnight Fox was taller than Shuichon, but Shuichon was fast and light on her feet.  Shuichon grabbed Midnight Fox's claw, remembering how strong the praying mantis was to lift many pounds more it's weight.  Shuichon felt that strength.  It was raging with in her.  She picked the Midnight Fox up over her head and tossed her over her shoulder.  The Midnight Fox landed on her feet.  Shuichon turned and Midnight Fox slashed her arm.  Wincing in pain, but not letting it take her over, Shuichon grabbed Midnight Fox's arms, pulled her down and mashed her nose with her temple.  Still enraged, she kicked her square in the chest, following up with a crane technique.

"I _am_ every animal!" Shuichon yelled. "Look around! Do you see them? Since I was a little girl, they have been my teachers, my senseis.  I am the girl that can fight like an animal!"

"No matter what animal you are," Midnight Fox snarled, "you can't beat me."  Midnight Fox tripped Shuichon and advanced to her.  "I've been fighting longer than you have.  I was the Gladiator Queen!"

Shuichon gasped, "I've heard of you!" she laughed.  "Ha, you left your throne because you didn't want to share your glory with a man.  If I were you, I would've become Ryo's Queen.  It's better to fight along side others than alone!"

"I beg to differ," Midnight Fox reached for her scimitar but before she could, Shuichon kipped up and pushed Midnight Fox flat down on her back.  Shuichon squatted down on Midnight Fox's torso, pinning her.  Midnight Fox felt cold, unbelievingly cold.  Shuichon felt something change and churn in side of her.  She wasn't just fighting like an animal; she was becoming one.  The strange force inside Midnight Fox was now attempting to enter Shuichon.  The animals could sense it and before Shuichon could do anything else, the jackal took her arm in its mouth and pulled her off of Midnight Fox.

"Let me go!" Shuichon shouted.

The jackal and other animals growled.  A bear got between Shuichon and Midnight Fox, forcing her to back away.

"This isn't over, Midnight Fox!" Shuichon hissed.  "We'll settle this!"

"I intend to, little one."  Midnight Fox muttered and fled away.  

"My brother better live," Shuichon shouted after her.  "You hear me!  For your sake, he'd better live!"

Shuichon groaned and walked over to Jenrya.

"You shouldn't have fought her," he grimaced.

"I had to," she said, lifting him up and putting an arm around him.  

"She could've killed you."

"I'm stronger than you think.  I have to get you to someone."  She explained as she let him lean on her while she walked away.  "You're losing too much blood. Please, hold on."

A deer ran along side them.  Shuichon smiled. "Thank you, friend."  The deer lay down so Shuichon can get her brother to mount the animal.  Shuichon got on behind him and pressed her hand to his wound.  "Hurry."

The deer took off to the south, where Juri's tavern was located. 

 ****

"How do you expect us to get a lead here?" Kenta demanded.  "The only people here are drunks!"

"Perhaps, but this is where all the gossip is," Hirokazu said.

"Who are those two?" Takato asked Juri at the bar.  He pointed to Kenta and Hirokazu.

"Bounty hunters," she replied.  "They're searching for Midnight Fox."

"I've heard of her," Takato said.  "There's a price on her head for 12,000 gold coins."

"And that man there is the only one brave enough to catch her," Juri nodded to Hirokazu.  "I think his partner is trying to talk him out of it."

Takato sipped his ale.  "I wish I could do something to help."

"They've been waiting here for hours for a lead," Nikari stated, "but I think they just like me."

Juri smiled.  "Nikari…"

"Maybe we should try another bar, Hirokazu," Kenta said, "You expect our lead to just walk inside the door saying they just saw Midnight Fox?"

Right after Kenta said that, Shuichon barged inside the tavern, holding her brother to her.  "Help!  My brother is hurt!"

Everyone turned around to her. Hirokazu set down his ale.  "That might be our lead."

"What happened?" Juri questioned.

"It was…Midnight Fox!" Shuichon shouted.  "She attacked my brother!"

Hirokazu grinned. "Finally!"

Many of the guests gasped and left the tavern in a hurry, screaming about Midnight Fox coming to kill them. Shuichon came deeper in.

"Takato, Masahiko," Juri said, "bring him up stairs so I can tend to him!"

"Certainly," Takato said, taking Jenrya's arm as Masahiko took the other.  Jenrya looked tiredly up at Takato and they looked at each other like they've seen one another somewhere, but couldn't remember when. 

"I'm coming with you," Shuichon said, "He's my brother!"

"It's best you stay here, miss," Juri said.

"No!"

"Nikari, get her a drink," Juri ordered.

"Yes, Juri," Nikari said. "This way, miss."

"But I don't want a drink!" Shuichon shouted.  "I want my brother!"

"He will be all right," Juri insisted. "Please stay here.  You can see him after I tend to him.  I'll come to you."

Hirokazu stood up and put an arm around Shuichon, "yes, madam, it's best you stay here.  Have a drink.  Some dinner.  It's on me." He nodded at Nikari and she started making something for Shuichon to eat and drink.

"It's all right, Juri," Kenta said.  "We'll keep her company."

"Thank you," Juri said and went up stairs.  Masahiko was removing Jenrya's shirt and beginning to dab his wound with water.  Takato was still looking at Jenrya as if he knew him.

"Masahiko, Takato," she said, "thank you.  I will take it from here."

"Has he ever been to your tavern, Juri?" Takato questioned.

Juri shook her head.  "No.  Never seen him or his sister."

"Strange," Takato said, "I feel like I know him."

"Take over down stairs, Masahiko.  I will let you know if I need anything."

"Are you sure, Juri?" Masahiko asked.

"Yes," she sighed.  "Now, the man is bleeding to death."  There was a reason why she was so eager to get the men out of the room.  It wasn't because she was afraid of a fight to break out down stairs and all the food and bear will be stolen, but because she didn't want them to know she was a mage.

"Very well, Sis."  Masahiko said.  Takato took one last look at Jenrya and the two left, closing the door behind them.

Juri walked over to Jenrya and he opened his eyes.  "Who--"

"Shh," she said, "I'm here to help you."  She took out her box containing her spell cards and searched for her healing card.  She pushed away the compress Masahiko had been using.  "I'm surprised you're still alive." She lifted him up to examine the wound. "The wounds go through your chest.  What happened?"

"She was going to kill my sister because she saved me," he mumbled. "Then…I threw my self in front of her."

"You really care for your sister."

"She's all I've got."

"Please, relax." She held out her healing card.  "This card will heal you."

"You're a card mage!" he gasped.

"Magic will heal your wounds faster," she explained.  The healing card started to glow white and she chanted a few words.  Sparkles extracted from the card and to Jenrya's wounds.  He closed his eyes, waiting for a sting, but there wasn't one.  He opened his eyes again and the sparkles slowed down the bleeding.  His wounds came close together as if the sparkles were stitches sewing the deep wounds together.  It flowed deep through his body and closed up the three holes in his back.  He couldn't believe what just happened.  "Now, it is best you do not tell anyone this.  If word got out I was a card mage, I'd lose all my customers."

"You saved my life," Jenrya said.  "Who are you?"

"Juri.  Get some sleep.  You need the rest. The magic will continue to work."

Jenrya closed his eyes and Juri put a blanket over him.  "Thank you."

"I'll tell your sister how you are doing," Juri left Jenrya alone.

****

"What can you tell us about Midnight Fox?" Hirokazu questioned.

"Pardon?" Shuichon demanded.

"Excuse us, we haven't introduced ourselves, haven't' we?"  Hirokazu chuckled.  "I am Hirokazu and this is Kenta.  We are bounty hunters from the Raiden Guild.  We're after Midnight Fox."

 "We've been waiting here for a lead for some time," Kenta said.  "Where did you have your conflict with Midnight Fox?"

"East of here.  In the wilderness." Shuichon explained.  "I fought with her and she left.  She couldn't have gotten far.  I think I hurt her bad."

"So she really is a woman," Hirokazu grinned. He looked at Kenta, "I told you!"

Shuichon nodded, "broke her mask.  I saw her face, but the way she fought was different.  Maybe there was an evil spirit in her body.  She was once the Gladiator Queen."

"So that's what happened to her!" Kenta exclaimed.

"You must be careful," Shuichon warned.  "She's very dangerous. Maybe I should go with you."

"No, Shuichon," Hirokazu said. "Stay here with your brother.  We will go get her."

"We should tell the others," Kenta said.

"No time," Hirokazu muttered, "we have to move now.  You saw her east of here, right?"

She nodded, "toward the Black Mountains, where the river runs.  My deer can help you."

"She called me her dear," Hirokazu sighed.

Shuichon took another gulp of her drink, "no, my deer.  My deer is just outside the tavern.  He can lead you to Midnight Fox.  I can communicate with animals.  I'll tell him where he should take you."

"Quite some gift," Hirokazu said.

"I can fight like an animal too," Shuichon, said, "I've learned fighting skills from them."  Shuichon stood up.  "Follow me."

Kenta grabbed Hirokazu's arm.  "Hirokazu, I really think we should tell the other guild members."

"Have you forgotten that we're bounty hunters?" Hirokazu demanded. "It's our job to get the outlaws.  You see that girl?"  He nodded to Shuichon, "you want to add to her pain?"

"You just want the money."

"It's more than the money," Hirokazu said, "but about honor.  It's about helping people.  We can't let someone else get hurt from Midnight Fox.  We have to act now.  Are you not my blood brother? Didn't you promise me that you'd help me?"

Kenta sighed and looked at his left palm. He remembered the day he and Hirokazu became blood brothers.  They were kids.

_Flashback_

The robbers came to wreak havoc on their village again.  The two boys sought shelter in a tight alley.  As Kenta sat down, hugging his knees, Hirokazu looked out the alley watching the robbers maim, rape, steal and kill, feeling utterly helpless.

"If I were just a few years older," Hirokazu muttered, tightening his fist.  

"They're going to find us, Hirokazu," Kenta said shakily, "they'll find us soon and kill us."

Hirokazu sighed, "then it this is a good time as any."  He took out his knife.

"You're not going to fight them, are you?" Kenta asked.

"No," Hirokazu said. Holding the knife firmly in his right hand, he put his left palm over the blade and cut himself.  

"Hirokazu!"

"We're going to become blood brothers," Hirokazu said, "so when they do find us, we'll still be brothers. Give me your hand."

Kenta looked at him, aghast. "What?"

"It won't be that deep."

Kenta frowned and held out his palm with closed eyes.  He turned his face away as Hirokazu slashed his palm.  He let out a whimper and Hirokazu gripped his hand in a tight handshake.  Hirokazu squeezed his hand and Kenta could feel his blood seeping into his veins.  Hearing the madness outside, Kenta squeezed just as hard.

"My brother," Hirokazu said.

"My brother," Kenta echoed.

"Forever."

"Forever."

The boys weren't killed that day.  Becoming blood brothers saved them.

_End Flashback_

Kenta nodded.  "Yes, we're blood brothers."

"We've got to do this, Kenta," Hirokazu said.

Kenta still felt skeptical.  "But it'll be nearly impossible to kill Midnight Fox.  You heard Shuichon, Midnight Fox is dangerous. Did you see that man Shuichon brought in here?  She could do that to us!"

"Who said anything about killing her?" Hirokazu asked with a sly grin.  "We're bounty hunters, not assassins.  It's dead or alive, remember?  All we've got to do is capture her."

Kenta groaned, "I hate it when you talk like that."

"Let's go, Blood Brother." Hirokazu said and they followed Shuichon outside.  She was stroking her buck's neck and whispering in his ear.

"He'll lead you where you need to go," Shuichon said.  "Keep your eyes open.  She may be injured but she's still dangerous.  She may go after another man."

"Don't worry, Shuichon," Hirokazu said, "we'll find her. Thank you."

Shuichon nodded, "it's getting dark. You must hurry."

"You get on," Hirokazu told Kenta, "I'll go on foot."

Kenta mounted the buck and they left Shuichon's sight.  "Good luck!" she cried after them.  "You'll need it."

****

As Jenrya slept, he could hear a woman calling him.  "Jenrya.  Jenrya, come."  He thought it was in his dream, but it was real.  He sat up and his wounds were fully healed, his body regenerated.  

"Who's calling me?" he asked.

"Out here, Jenrya." 

Jenrya got out of bed and went to the window.  He pushed back the curtains and opened the window. He saw a bright red ball of light.  

"Where are you?"

"Come, Jenrya. Come."

Jenrya looked down, "how?"

A beam from the ball of light came toward him and pulled him from the room.  He gasped as it carried him into the night.  "Who are you? What are you doing?"

"I will not harm you."

He was taken to the ball of light. Inside he saw a woman dressed in black mounted on a giant dog.  

"I am waiting for the other," she said.  "Takato."

Takato, after seeing the red ball of light from the tavern, ran out to get a better look.  "Who are you?" Takato asked. He saw Jenrya. "You, you should be resting!"

"The woman Juri healed me," Jenrya said.  

"How? The stab wounds went through your chest!"

"She didn't want me to tell," Jenrya said.

"Juri is a card mage," the woman said. 

"How do you know?" Takato asked. "Who are you?"

"My name is Alice," she replied.  "I've been searching for you, Demon Seekers."

"Demon Seekers?" Takato echoed.

"Yes.  You are two of them," Alice said.  "There are others.  I've come to warn you about the great change."

"What great change?" Jenrya asked.

"The demons of our greatest nightmares exist in another world.  They've found away to reach earth through a rip in time and space.  There is a group of them called the Devas; giant animals that could speak."

Jenrya gasped, "My sister and I have been fighting them for years!"

"I know, I've seen you," Alice explained. 

"Who are the other Demon Seekers?"

"You two are four of the strongest," Alice said, "I could only reach you for the moment.  Ruki and Ryo I'll have to meet later."

"I don't know them," Jenrya said.

"You've met Ruki. She is now the Midnight Fox."

Jenrya gasped, "She tried to kill me and my sister! You mean to say she is one of us?"

Alice nodded, "there is a demon plaguing her body.  She became so full of hate and that is what the evil spirit feeds off of."

"What can we do to help her?"  Takato asked.  

"She is getting helped," Alice said.  "She will see what she has become."

Takato sighed, "I don't understand, how can I be a demon seeker? I am just a mere painter.  I know not the slightest thing about combat."

"Have you ever done something you could not explain, Takato?  While you painted something, did it look so real, as if it could become alive in front of your very eyes?" Alice questioned.  "You have special powers.  Powers to change reality into your making.  You are an illusionist."

"An…illusionist?" he asked.  

"You can make anything you want appear," she said, "you can confuse your enemies with illusions.  You can do more than paint images onto piece of paper, you can make them real."

Takato gasped.  He never knew.  "I…never noticed."

"You will have to concentrate, but you will see."

"Where will we have to go?" Jenrya asked, "What should we do?"

Alice tossed a silver ball to Jenrya.  "This is a map of the demon world.  It will show you were to go. It also holds the power to keep the demons in their world where they belong.  You have to find the gateway where they are entering our world and close it before others get here."

****

"Shuichon," Juri came to Shuichon who was sleeping on a table.  "You can see your brother now.  He is up stairs.  Second room on the right."

"Oh, thank you," Shuichon said, running up stairs to see him. "Jenrya!  Jenrya, how are you feeling?"

He didn't answer her.

"Are you sleeping?" she went to the door Juri told her and opened it. "Jenrya?" she walked inside and saw that he was gone.  "Jenrya!"  She hurried to his bed and picked up the blanket.  

Shuichon tried to think where he went.  She could only come up with one thing.  "Midnight Fox, you've come to finish the job, haven't you?" she left the room and collided with Juri. "She's been here!"

"Who?" Juri asked.

"Midnight Fox," she replied, "She's here"

"No, you told Hirokazu and Kenta where to find her.  She couldn't have come here.  We would've known."

"Where is Jenrya?" Shuichon demanded.

"He must've gone out for some air.  Your brother is all right.  Midnight Fox does not know you're here.  I'm certain she is still in the woods."

****

Midnight Fox stumbled away.  She felt confused and still could not understand why Jenrya got in the way.  The image played over and over in her head.  Midnight Fox shook her head.  'Why am I thinking about this?' she thought.  She sat down to think.  "I feel so tired."

"My queen, I've finally found you."

"I know that voice," she muttered, turning around. There was Ryo, the gladiator king.  "You've followed me!"

"I couldn't let you go," he said.  "I knew you can handle the wilderness, but I couldn't stand to be apart from you."

"You make me sick how you speak like that!" she growled, standing up.  

"I knew that the Midnight Fox had to be you," he said, "I searched for you."

"And now that you found me, what do you plan to do?" she demanded, "Shall we fight again?"

He noticed the cut on her face.  "You've been injured."

"It's nothing," she muttered.  "I don't want to hear anything out of you.  What we started in the arena, we shall finish out here, in the wilderness!"

**TBC**


	5. Dead or Alive

**Broken Worlds 4**

**Dead or Alive**

Takato shook his head. "This does not make sense. Why us?"

"You've been chosen," Alice said.  

"How did you know this?" Jenrya asked.

Alice stroked her giant dog.  "My friend here told me.  He's from the other world. He's one of the Devas."

Jenrya gasped, "One of them was a dog…"

{Author's Note:  The Chinese Zodiac has a dog but I don't know if Dobermon was one of them or if the Tamer's already defeated it.  I must've missed an episode or two.}

"Yes," Alice said, "but don't be frightened.  He is harmless, like some of them.  Others are mad, like the ones you've fought."

"What else should we do?" Takato asked.  

"Find the gate. There should be someone there to help you.  His name is Shibumi.  He was the one who created the magical amulets you two have."

Takato looked at his red amulet, "this amulet?  It was a gift."  

"My sister made this necklace for me when we defeated the tiger," Jenrya said.

"I do not mean that necklace," Alice said.

"But I don't--"

Alice held out her hand and around Jenrya's neck, appeared a golden amulet with a giant emerald.  

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Now you have yours."

"I don't recall seeing the Midnight Fox with an amulet," Jenrya said.

"She hasn't proved worthy of hers yet," Alice explained.  "But she will get hers soon."

****

Shuichon tapped her foot and looked at her half-empty mug.  "I can't wait any longer.  Where is Jenrya?  Why haven't those bounty hunters returned yet?"

"Relax, Shuichon," Juri said.  "I'm sure your brother is fine.  I know Hirokazu and Kenta very well."

"Well, they were here long enough for you to get to know them," Masahiko joked.

"Hirokazu and Kenta are good bounty hunters.  They've found many outlaws quickly.  Kenta is a good tracker and he knows background about the different outlaws.  Hirokazu is skilled with many weapons.  Trust me, they'll find them.  I know they will."

"I hope I haven't lead them in a trap," Shuichon mumbled, "If anything happens to those men, I'll never forgive myself."

"I know what you mean." Nikari agreed.  Hirokazu is quite a catch, isn't he?"

***

"My queen, we don't need to fight anymore," Ryo said.  "We are out of the arena now.  We've left the gladiator life. Let's talk this out."

"No!" She shouted.  "I am still the gladiator Queen and I'll never stop fighting!" She lunged for him and he sidestepped away.  She growled. "Why don't you fight me?  Let's finish our battle."

"We have finished it in the arena." He told her calmly.

"It only ends when one of us dies," she hissed. "And we are both alive."

"Stop this, Ruki.  You don't have to fight anymore.  You've fought too much.  It's all you know."

"That's right, I've been fighting all my life!" she cried.  "I will never stop fighting!  Never!  I am, and always will be, the Gladiator Queen!" she advanced on him and he backed away, not wanting to participate in battle. He tried to talk her down.

"Of course you are, but you don't need to fight to prove that."  He backed up and his feet got wet.  He looked back to see water.  He had just stepped into a river. 

 There was nowhere to go but deeper and he couldn't talk to her with water up to his neck--or could he?  Maybe if he led her in the water, he could stop her.  He took another step back and another as he spoke.  "You are still the gladiator queen. You are _my_ gladiator queen. No one can take your place."  The water now came up to his shins.

"How I tire of you calling me that!" she shouted as she followed him.  She stood on the riverbank.  "I am not your queen!" She took a step into the water.

"I am not like the men you have killed," he said, taking another step back.   "Or the men you think you've killed.  Some may have been madmen but others were fathers and husbands.  Good men, Ruki.  There are good men alive but there won't be any left if you keep killing every man you come across!"  The water now came up to his waist, where he waited for her to come to him.  "Stop this, Ruki!  You have to stop."

Ruki walked into the water and stopped when it came to her knees. She thought about what he said. Good men?  Did she meet any good men in her life? She saw one just today and tried to kill him too.  He put his life in danger for his sister.  Where there more men like that, men like that one brother?  

"My queen," Ryo said, noticing her stop.  'Did it work?' he thought to himself.

Ruki shook her head, groaning. It started to throb and she put her hand against it as she pressed on into the river. "I will not stop! I will never stop!"

"Ruki, think of what you've done!" He called to her. "Please, think of this carefully.  Think!  Think about what you're about to do!"

She grinned at him.  "I've thought about it a long time ago and I still will not stop." Ruki was just a foot away from him now and they stood waist deep in the water. 

Ryo thought about stepping deeper in but another idea came to him.  It probably would work.  It just might open her eyes.

Ruki pulled her clawed fist in a punch underneath her breast, ready to run him through.  She could not keep herself from grinning. Finally, she had the Gladiator King right where she wanted him.  It was sweet.  

"Good bye, my King!" she shouted madly and just as she pushed her fist forward, Ryo reached for her and pulled her into him in a tight embrace.  She gasped in surprise and Ryo grunted in pain as the three long blades went though his stomach and out his lower back.  

'No, that's not how it was supposed to be,' she thought. 'He was supposed to step away or just stand there or fight back.  He wasn't supposed to help me kill him!  This wasn't how I wanted it!'

Though already injured, Ryo pulled her closer to him and the claw went in deeper. It injured his vital organs and his blood was dripping into the water.  Ruki could feel his warm blood sliding onto her bare stomach as he held her close.  It dripped into the water.

"How does it feel?" Ryo asked weakly in her ear.  Blood spilled from his mouth, staining her hair and face. "How--how does it feel, my queen? To be held in the arms of your dying king? How does it feel to know that he's about to die? That you've taken another life of a man, a good man?  How many good men must die until you understand?  Why--why can't you see? Why? Why did it have to get this far?"

Ruki flinched. A voice spoke to her.  "Why don't' you finish him off for good? Then he'll stop talking nonsense. Rip off his head now. I'll give you the strength you need."

"No," she muttered, "You made me do this…you monster, get out of my head!"  She closed her eyes and put her other hand to his back.  "Ryo, I'm sorry. Forgive me, my king.  I didn't mean to…he made me…I see now.  Please, don't die!"

"Are we close, Hirokazu?" Kenta asked.  

"Shuichon said something about a river," Hirokazu said.  "I'm sure we're close.  I hear water."

Ruki screamed and the two men heard it.

"Hirokazu, someone screamed!  Midnight Fox might be here."

"That was a woman who screamed," Hirokazu said.

"She probably killed another man," Kenta suggested, "a woman's husband maybe."

After finding the river, Hirokazu dismounted.  He stepped into the water and looked at it.

"Hirokazu what is it?" Kenta got off the deer.

Hirokazu touched the water and sniffed it. "Blood, Kenta…someone's bleeding.  Upstream!"

Kenta cupped his hands and submerged them into the water, bringing up the blood-filtered water.  He sniffed it and even tasted it to be sure.  He spat it out. "You're right…ugh…"

"Let's get to work," Hirokazu pulled off his crossbow and walked out of the river. "Remind me to thank Shuichon when we get back."

Within moments, they found Ruki with Ryo.  She had pulled out her claw from his stomach and was now trying to clean his wounds with the water.  The river started to become red with his blood.

"What is she doing?" Kenta asked.  "Hiding his body?"

"Whatever she's doing," Hirokazu said, aiming his crossbow, "It'll stop now.  I'm not going to let the Midnight Fox kill again."

Ruki didn't know there were bounty hunters behind her.  Hirokazu fired and a crossbow bolt got her in between her shoulder blades. She howled in pain and dropped Ryo in the water.  Hirokazu shot her again, now in her left shoulder blade.  As she whirled around, Hirokazu shot her thigh.

"Let's go!" Hirokazu shouted.  "Kenta, get him.  Maybe we can save him!"

Before Ryo floated too far away, Kenta got to him.  He gasped when he saw him.  "Oh my god."

"What is it?" Hirokazu shouted, trying to restrain Ruki with the three crossbow bolts in her body.

"It's the gladiator King!" Kenta exclaimed.

"Then get him out of here!" Hirokazu shouted.

Kenta grabbed Ryo by his armpits and pulled him out of the river as Hirokazu still struggled with Ruki.  Even shot with three poisonous crossbow bolts, she still fought like a tigress.

"What's going on?" Hirokazu wondered out loud, "you should be paralyzed by now."

"You--you can't defeat me!" she snarled.  "I'm the gladiator Queen!"

Kenta started to bandage up Ryo's wounds.  "This should hold you until we get you to Juri."

Ryo groaned and looked over at Ruki fighting with Hirokazu.  "What is he doing?"

"We've come to help you," Kenta said.  "Hirokazu and I are bounty hunters.  We got a lead from a woman Midnight Fox attacked."

"Please, don't hurt her!" Ryo choked.

"We're here to help you," Kenta said.  "If we came any later, she would've killed you."

"No, she didn't mean to."

Kenta tightened the bandages on Ryo's body.  "You're losing too much blood. You're not thinking straight."

Ruki tried to jab Hirokazu but he grabbed her arm.  "I've never had this much trouble with women!  Kenta, will you give me a hand here!"

"But you told me to--

"Forget what I said!" Hirokazu shouted, swirling around in the water, "Your blood brother is in danger here!"

Kenta sighed, stood up and got his own crossbow ready.  They were moving too fast and he couldn't get a clear shot.  "Hirokazu, stop moving!  Hold her still!"

"I'm trying!" Hirokazu exclaimed.  "She should be asleep right now. Why aren't the arrows working?"

"You men are all the same!" Midnight Fox shouted, she thrashed around and slashed his arm.

Hirokazu bit his lip and grabbed for her again.  He pushed her in the water and pulled out his knife.  "Dead or alive," he said.  "Damn--and I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this.  I was starting to like you too."

Hirokazu stabbed her in the ribs, pulled her out of the water and struck her hard across the face.  She still writhed in his grasp. "No, Kenta!"

Kenta aimed and shot her in the chest.   Finally, she stopped moving and the poison began to take effect.  Hirokazu pulled her out of the water and tied her wrists and ankles together.

"Why did you do that?" Ryo asked.  

"Because it's our job." Hirokazu retorted. "Can't I get a thank you?"

"We're bounty hunters," Kenta said more lightly, "It's our duty to capture outlaws and protect people."

"I loved her," Ryo sighed.

"She doesn't understand love," Hirokazu muttered, "If she did, she wouldn't have attacked Shuichon and her brother.  This woman you loved killed a lot of good men.  We've been on her tail for days.  You should thank us.  Good God, man, we just saved your life! An also the lives of many others."

Ryo groaned.  If Hirokazu only knew _how_ Ryo had gotten hurt in the first place.

"Is she dead?" Kenta asked.

Hirokazu shook his head, "No, she's still breathing." He heaved her over his shoulders.  "Let's get back.  Shuichon will be relieved to see us back.  I bet she misses us."

Kenta pulled Ryo up and put his arm around him.  "I'm sorry, but I had to."

Shuichon's deer came up and Kenta put Ryo on its back. They started to go back and Ryo fell asleep halfway there.

"Hirokazu, did we do the right thing?" Kenta asked.

Hirokazu grunted, "of course we did.  Midnight Fox is crazy, even if he did love her.  She wouldn't have tried to kill him if she understood that."

*****

Shuichon paced the floor.  "I hope they're okay," she said.  "Please be all right."

"I can't find Takato," Nikari told Juri, "I think he's with Jenrya."

"Good," Juri said. "Takato said that he looked familiar."

"If anything happened to them I--" before Shuichon could finish her sentence, Hirokazu and Kenta stepped in, supporting Ryo.  "You're back!" she noticed Ryo.  "Dear God--not another!"

"We got to her in time," Kenta said.  "I bandaged his wounds but he'll need some rest and--"

Juri nodded.  "I'll take care of it from here, Kenta.  Thank you."

"Where's Midnight Fox?" Shuichon asked.

"In prison," Hirokazu replied.

She noticed his arm. "You're hurt! Did she--"

"Don't worry, it's not that deep." Hirokazu said.  "I just had a hell of a time trying to get her under control.  You were right, Shuichon--she is strong."

"Isn't that the Gladiator King?" Nikari asked coming closer.

"Yes," Kenta nodded. 

"Let's get him up stairs," Juri said, "follow me."

Kenta and Hirokazu followed Juri but Shuichon went outside. She wanted a word with Midnight Fox.  

"Set him down here," Juri ordered and the men did so.  

"I did what I could with what I had," Kenta said.  "He'll defiantly need some stitches."

"My cut stings," Hirokazu said.  "Some ale should do it."

"No, stay here," Juri said.  "I'll take care of your wound too." She pulled out her card box.  "However, you have to swear to me that what happens in this room, stays in this room."

"I don't understand."

The card began to glow as Juri held it over Ryo's belly.  The solution went through the bandages Kenta dressed him in and started to clean up his deep wounds.  Kenta gasped and put a hand to his mouth.  Hirokazu just shook his head over and over again, thinking it had to be an illusion from his cut.

After the card stopped glowing, Juri took the bandages away.  Hirokazu walked to him.  

"He's healed," he said. "I don't believe it. Just a while ago he was bleeding."

"Hirokazu, give me your arm." She took his arm and pushed the card on it.   "This will not hurt."

Hirokazu watched in surprise as the wound disappeared in front of his eyes.  "How did you do that?"

"I'm a card mage," she explained.

"We should've taken you with us," Kenta said.  "You could've stopped Midnight Fox."

"You healed Shuichon's brother the same way, didn't you?" Hirokazu asked.

She nodded, "he must have recovered quickly too.  I'm not sure where he is. He might be with Takato."

"Juri! Shuichon, she's gone!" Nikari cried.

"What?" she asked.

"She left.  I think she went to the prison to see Midnight Fox."

"We've captured her, what more does she want?" she groaned. "You two, stay and rest." She held on to her box of cards and left. "I'll take care of this."

****

"I'm here to see Midnight Fox," Shuichon told the guard at the gate. "Can you bring her out?"

The guard nodded, "wait here."

A moment later, he returned with Ruki in chains.  He waited in the corner and supervised.

"You again," Ruki muttered.  "What do you want?"

"I thought you weren't hurt again," Shuichon said.  "I was gong to make sure Jenrya was the last but you couldn't stop, could you?  You had to attack the Gladiator King!"

"You do not know my connection with him."

"Oh?  I know he loved you. I wasn't there in the crowd but I saw it in his eyes when Hirokazu and Kenta brought him back."

"He lived?"

"Yes, he's still alive.  Thanks to those men."

"You told them where to find me, didn't you?"

"So what if I did?" Shuichon demanded.  "I had to make sure you didn't kill again.  Tell me, Midnight Fox.  How many men have you killed? How many sons, how many fathers," as she asked each questioned, her voice rose an octave, filled in resentment, "how many brothers? How many husbands? How many lovers? How many uncles? How many nephews? How many friends?  How many, Midnight Fox? Tell me!  How many?"

She didn't answer her.

"Answer me!" she shouted.  "How many?  Ten? A Dozen?  A hundred?"

Ruki looked down and away.  

"You don't' even know, do you?" she interrogated.  "You've probably killed a thousand and you don't even care."

"I don't know," she said at last.  

"Why did you kill those men, Midnight Fox?  Were they lovers that left you?"

"No.  I--just hate men.  All men."

"Even the good men?" she asked.  "Or just the ones that did bad, horrible things? You didn't' care what they did or who they were? What they meant to someone else.  You didn't care if they were brothers or sons or husbands--you didn't care!  You didn't care!  I know there are some bad men out there and you think they're all bad, but they're not.  My brother is not.  He's not!  You didn't care what kind of man he was; you tried to kill him anyway!  And when he tried to protect me, you tried to kill me!  And you came to the tavern to finish the job, didn't you? You kidnapped him!"

Ruki shook her head. "I didn't come after him."

"You attacked Ryo and it mattered not that he loved you, did it?  You didn't want to be loved by a man.  I want to _kill_ you, Midnight Fox!  You do not deserve to live!" She started to fight her again and a voice broke out.

"Shuichon, no!" she was grabbed from behind.

"Let me go!" Shuichon hissed.

"Shuichon, calm down. It's going to be all right."

"Jenrya?" she looked up to see him.  "You're all right! What happened? Where did you go?"

"He and Takato were talking to a woman," Juri answered shortly.  

"Who?"

"A messenger.  All will be explained momentarily," Juri said. "We've come for Midnight Fox. Set her free."

"Why?" the guard asked.  "She's an outlaw.  An assassin.  I'd be insane to let her go."

"It was not she who killed those men, "Juri said," but the demon inside her.  The only crime she is guilty of is hating every man she came across and allowing herself to love any.  I command that you let her go."

"You're mad--"

"You leave me no choice," Juri said, taking out a card from her box she held it up and it shot a beam to the guard.  Silently, he fell down.

"Did you--" Takato began.

"No," Juri said.  "He's just asleep."

"What do you want with me?" Ruki asked. "You've put me in prison.  You have your justice, what more do you want?"

"We need your help, Ruki," Jenrya said.  "You have to join us.  The messenger told us you are a demon seeker.  You, Takato and I are.  We've been chosen to save the world."

"I can't." she said. 

_"I am not going anywhere,_" said a different voice out of her mouth.  

"It's the evil spirit," Juri reached for a special card.

"Are you going to draw the evil spirit out?" Takato asked.

"I'm going to try," Juri replied. She held the card out.  It had an image of a cross. "Evil spirit, I command that you leave Ruki!  Her body does not belong to you!"

The demon inside her began to laugh.  Her eyes glowed red.  Ruki could not control it anymore.  It made her move how it desired.

"She has another purpose," Juri said.  "Ruki is a demon seeker.   You will leave her body now!" the card started to glow.  Ruki got on all her fours and jumped towards them, but she was frozen in midair as the card took effect.  A beam of bright white light held her body in the air and went off in waves.  Juri struggled the card, for she never had to use it.  "Leave her body now, demon!"

The demon inside her screamed in anguish and pain but did not let her go.  "I cannot move!"

Juri moved the card and whichever direction she moved her hand, Ruki went.  Her body hit the walls, floor and ceiling.  

"I demon that you let her go!"

"Stop, Juri, you'll hurt her!" Jenrya pleaded.

"Better to be hurt while Juri is trying to save her than to have that thing in her forever," Takato said.

She made her drop the floor, but kept her frozen.  The evil spirit stayed inside her body.

Juri pulled out another card to help her.  It had the image of a broken heart.  When the card took effect, Ruki screamed and held herself.

"Pain…all over," she said, her voice and the demon's mixed as one.  "My heart…my neck my arms, sliced off.  No! My back--back is burning!  The fire!  The flames!  Make it stop!" She grabbed her chest, "My heart…my stomach…ripped out…everything is going black…bleeding…bleeding. Can't…make it stop!"

A dark fog started to pull out of Ruki's body as she screamed in agony and it flowed toward Shuichon.  Shuichon gasped and tripped as she tried to step away.  Just as it reached her face, it faded away.

"Was that the evil spirit?" Shuichon asked.  

"I have no doubt it was," Jenrya said.

"I feel so…tired." Ruki said wearily, swaying side to side.  "So…so very tired."

"Then sleep, Ruki," Juri insisted, holding up another card.  "Sleep."

Ruki sighed and collapsed but before she hit the floor, Jenrya caught her.  

"She's so cold," Jenrya stated.

"That's the effect of the demon inside of her," Juri explained.  

"Will she be all right?" he asked as he lifted her up.

"She will now."  Juri answered. "She needs rest.  She hasn't rested for weeks."

"Juri, you were magnificent!" Takato praised. "How come you never told me that you were a mage?"

Juri sighed, "I just wanted it to be a secret."

"It won't be a secret anymore," Takato said. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Alice didn't say I was a demon seeker like you and Jenrya and the others." Juri said.

"But she knew you were a card mage," Jenrya insisted. "We need your help, Juri."

"I don't have an amulet," she nodded to Takato's amulet.  
"Then I'll give you mine." Takato offered. Come with us, Juri."

Juri smiled, "keep it, Takato.  All right, I will come.  I just hope I don't end up in the way.  I'm not very strong."

"You won't be in the way, Juri." Takato said, "I didn't even know I was an illusionist but you always knew you were a mage.  Maybe you can help me with my powers."

"Very well."

"What were the cards you used on her?" Shuichon asked.

"The first one was called the Holy Card.  It can take an evil spirit from a person's body but it was too hard for me to use without another.  The second card I used was the Broken Heart card.  It made her feel the pain from all of her victims."

"She even felt my pain?" Shuichon asked.  "When I was burned?"

"Yes. And the last card was the sleeping card.  She'll be in a very deep sleep."

"Is that the card you used on the guard as well?" Takato asked.

"Yes.  Now let's head back.  We'll have to tell Ryo when he wakes."


	6. Crawling {Song Chapter!}

**Broken Worlds 5**

**Crawling**

Disclaimer/Notes: I do not own Digimon Tamers or Linkin Park.  I decided to make this a song chapter because this is mostly about Ruki and her thoughts of what she did.  And the song is cool!

_CRAWLING IN MY SKIN_

_CONSUMING ALL I FEEL_

_FEAR IS HOW I FALL_

_CONFUSING WHAT IS REAL_

Ruki may have been fast asleep and the evil spirit was taken out of her body, but she still felt the crawling of it underneath her skin.  She felt it nabbing at her and an eerie coldness.  Jenrya carried her back to Juri's tavern to let her sleep comfortably in one of the rooms.  When he set her down, he noticed her face, how pitiful and sad it looked.  Even while she was resting--the demon spirit--at least the memory of it, consumed her.  She couldn't escape and it was even in her dreams.

'You cannot get rid of me, Ruki,' the evil spirit said in her mind, 'you need me.  You still have a job to do. You vowed not to rest until every man on earth is dead and now you sleep.  There are men out there that you need to destroy, Ruki.  You cannot sleep now!  I will not let you rest easy!'

Ruki's forehead beaded with sweat and she tossed her head side to side.  Feeling a deep sense of sympathy and compassion, Jenrya began to stroke her hair and her face, shushing her slightly.  This seemed to help a little, for she sighed and started to calm down.

"It's all right now, Ruki," he said softly.  "You need to rest.  The evil spirit is gone.  Juri exorcise it for you.  You're safe now."  He bent down and kissed her forehead. Watching her sleep, he stood by her side for a while and made sure she was sleeping sound.  Then he left her alone to sleep.  To himself, he said, "I think I've just fallen in love."

Jenrya walked out of the room and he passed Juri.  With questions on his mind, he went toward her.

"Juri?" he asked.

"Oh, hello, Jenrya," she said with a smile.  She had just returned from her storage cellar and was trying to handle a large crate. "Can you help me with this?"

"Absolutely," he took the crate from her.

"Are you feeling better? Perhaps you should eat something before you rest."

"But I just rested," he reminded.

"True, but it has been a long, trying night for all of us."  She sighed.  "I decided to get more food and supplies.  Everyone must be hungry and tired."

"Ruki most of all," he mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering, Juri," Jenrya began, "how strong is the card you used to exorcise the evil spirit?"

"How do you mean?"

"Will it be permanent?  Can the evil spirit come back?"

"It can if she keeps anger and hate in her heart," Juri replied.  "That is why it went to your sister after it came from Ruki's body.  Shuichon had hate for Ruki."

"Impossible. She doesn't hate anyone.  She's just a little girl."

"Maybe, but that little girl almost lost her brother tonight."  

"You think maybe the demon is still within Ruki?" he asked.  

"No.  It's gone," Juri said.  "We all saw it leave her body but her memory still has him in her head.  She still might anger in her heart and want to kill again." Juri sighed, as if she felt guilty.  "I rid the demon inside her, but not the hate.  That I cannot do for her.  Ruki has to do it for herself.  She has to _want_ to feel better and have love in her heart.  I'm sorry, I wish there was something more I could do."

"You've done enough already by destroying that demon," Jenrya put his hand on her. "But I'm concerned about Ruki. How is she supposed to work with us if she's angry?"

"I'm afraid I do not have any answers for you, Jenrya." Juri answered with a sigh. "I suppose what we can only do is wait and assure Ruki that we are on her side."

Jenrya nodded, "You're right."

They heard noises of breaking glass and angry voices downstairs.  Juri groaned and rolled her eyes.  "Not another fight.  It's too late in the night for this!" 

"I'll help you break it up," he volunteered.

"Thank you."

****

_THERE'S SOMETHING INSIDE ME THAT PULLS BENATH THE SURFACE_

_CONSUMING/CONFUSING_

_THIS LEACK OF SELF CONTROL I FEAR IS NEVER-ENDING_

_CONTROLLING/I CAN'T SEEM_

"So, did you collect your reward?" Ryo demanded the two bounty hunters as they counted their money over some ale and food.

"I thought you were resting," Kenta said.  

"I couldn't rest much knowing what you two did."

Hirokazu groaned and stood up, "We did what we had to."

"Anything for money, right?" Ryo sneered.

"That's not it," Kenta said quietly.  "We're not in the business for money."

"You don't care about the people you're after are you?  Dead or alive, just as long as you get your reward.  You bounty hunters make me sick!"

"It's because of us that you're still alive!" Hirokazu shouted.  "We saved a lot of people.  Do you know how many outlaws are out there?  Midnight Fox was the worst.  She killed thousands of men and you were almost one of them!"

"You've got it wrong," Ryo said, "She didn't attack me with her claw, I pushed myself into it!"

"You did what?" Kenta asked, "why?"

"You're insane! You let her almost kill you?"

"I had to make her see," Ryo said.  "She was about to get me and instead of just standing there or fighting back, I embraced her.  And it worked.  It opened her eyes and she was fine until you two came along and attacked her!"

"Maybe it worked," Hirokazu snarled, "but she had a demon in her for heaven's sake!  It took her over.  She's unstable!  Don't you understand? You'd be dead if it weren't for us!  Show some gratitude!"

"You--" Ryo grabbed Hirokazu's collar and Hirokazu did the same.

"Hirokazu, no!" Kenta cried, trying to hold him back.  

Jenrya grabbed Ryo from behind, trying to restrain him and a Juri used a card to put an invisible block between the two men.  

"Stop it both of you!" Juri ordered.  "I have enough fights in my bar!"

"What is going on here?" Jenrya demanded.

"They attacked Midnight Fox!" Ryo replied angrily.  "They only did it for the money!"

"We had to!" Hirokazu snapped.  "We're bounty hunters, it's our job!"

"Please try to understand, Ryo," Kenta said, "we were only trying to help and we didn't just do it for the money.  It's about honor."

"Honor," Ryo grunted.  "How did you find her?  You were just waiting to get her, weren't you?"

"See the man behind you?" Hirokazu demanded.  

"Who are you?" Ryo turned around and Jenrya let go of him. With Juri's block between Hirokazu and Ryo, he didn't have to restrain him anymore.

"I'm Jenrya. I also had an encounter with Midnight Fox."  Jenrya replied.  "She attacked me first and I supposed my sister heard me or maybe her animal friends brought her to me."

"What?"

"My sister has an ability to speak with animals," Jenrya explained.  "Midnight Fox always kills the woman who protects the man first, so Midnight Fox turned on my sister when she tried to protect me.  Before she killed her, I threw myself in between them to save my sister."

The three men gasped and Juri looked over at Jenrya in surprise.  "Oh my," she whispered.

"That sounds a lot like what I did," Ryo said.  "But I don't understand.  It should've stopped her."

"Midnight Fox is too powerful," Jenrya told him. "You should've known that.  You were gladiators together.  She had a demon inside of her and even if it did move her, the demon could empower her mind.  What you did opened her eyes for a short moment but I know that her demon was commanding that she finished you.  She paused before killing me, but she was going to kill me. She would have if my sister didn't stop her."

"So it was your sister that told these two where to find her," Ryo said, nodding to Hirokazu and Kenta.

"Shuichon," Kenta said.  "Where is she?"

"Sleeping," Jenrya replied.

Ryo let out a sigh.  "I don't understand."

"You also owe her a thank you," Hirokazu said.  "She helped save your life. If it wasn't for her, we never would've found you in time."

"Why did you become bounty hunters? For money?"

"Enough about the money!" Hirokazu exclaimed.  "We are not like all the bounty hunters out there.  Yes, we like getting paid but there is something about us you don't understand. We were victims of injustice all our life. From the time we could remember, Kenta and I had to fight to survive.  Invaders came into our village almost every day, taking away everything we owned and killing whoever fought first.  They'd just kill anyone.  Kenta and I had to hide in a small alley every time they attacked and we could do nothing but watch.  One day we became blood brothers."  Hirokazu held up his palm.  "And it kept us alive.  When we got older, we ran away from our village.  We eventually found Huyo Masuda and stopped him.  We became part of the Raiden Bounty Hunter Guild and we're the best bounty hunters out there.  Kenta and I don't like to kill, so we try to capture the outlaw alive.  Listen, we didn't know what Midnight Fox was doing with you in the river but we knew you were in danger.  She could've been hiding your body and feed you to the fish.  We weren't going to wait to find out what she had planned.  We couldn't' stand by and watch anymore. WE had to do something, so we shot her. You understand now? That is why we're bounty hunters.  We we've stood by and watched our own village in trouble as young boys but now we're men and we're not going to watch anymore."

Ryo let out a groan.

"We were especially concerned about you because, well, you're the gladiator king."  Kenta shrugged.  "We've heard so much about you.  You were an inspiration to us."

Ryo smiled.  "Then, I suppose I owe you an apology as well."

"We understand," Kenta said.  "You told us you loved her."

"And I didn't really like attacking her either," Hirokazu said.  "I hate fighting women!"

"And thank you."

Juri set down the block and Hirokazu shook hands with them. "Gentlemen, please, it's been a long night.  Have something to eat and get some rest."

"What about what Alice told us?" Jenrya asked.

"Who's Alice?" Hirokazu questioned.

"We will talk about that in the morning."  Juri said.  "We can sure use the rest."

****

When Jenrya left Ruki alone, the demon was still talking to her, trying to get her to wake up.  The sheets were wet from her sweat and she moaned and whimpered through the night.  'Please, go away. I can't fight anymore.'

_"I thought you hated men, Ruki."_

'I do.'

_"So destroy them!"_

'I can't. I'm too tired to fight.'

_"Kill them!"_

'I do hate men but I don't want to kill them anymore.  Can't I just hate them?  Isn't that enough?"

_'It doesn't do anything. Hate is a feeling and you have to act upon it.  Do something about it!'_

_TO FIND MYSELF AGAIN_

_MY WALLS ARE CLOSING IN_

_[WITHOUT A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND I'M CONVIENCED_

_THAT THERE'S TOO MUCH PRESSURE TO TAKE]_

_I'VE FELT THIS WAY BEFORE_

_SO INSECURE_

'You're confusing me.' Ruki sent. She could feel its coldness. She was having a nightmare that she was in a cell, but it was not like the cell she was in while imprisoned. The cell she was in after she captured was small with bricks and a metal gate.  But this cell was much smaller and the walls were moving in on her.  On the walls were very frightening paintings of her as Midnight Fox grinning at her.  The walls were also stained with blood and there were corpses in with her. Dead men that she had killed and she was about to be locked in within for all eternity.  

 'I don't understand. Isn't there something else I can do but kill them?  I've killed so many.  Even good men.  I could've killed two others tonight.'

_"Why care for them?"_

'I don't.  But others do.  That one brother threw himself between his sister and me to protect her.'

_"You were going to get him anyway.  He made it easier for you."_

'I was and he did.  But--his sister--she was so sad.'

"_Do you feel pity for her?"_

'No.'

_"Pity is weak."_

'I know it is.  I didn't pity her.  I just thought it was sad.'

_"You should've finished her off."_

'Maybe…but that would've been wrong.'

_"You gave her time to grieve and get stronger.  You're letting up, Ruki.  You fought her but you could've killed her easily and you missed the chance. You are too soft!"_

'Stop it!  Just let me sleep! I am so tired!'

_"No rest for the weary, Ruki.  No rest for the evil."_

'I am not evil.  But I am weary.'

_"You are evil.  You are a part of me."_

'I don't want to be a part of you!' she shouted mentally in her sleep as she turned on her side.  'Leave me! Why don't you leave me?'

_'I will not leave.  You still have anger and hate inside of you. Think of what you can do with that hate! You have already started! Why quite now?  You are so close!"_

'Get someone else to do it!' she thought.  'I am through with you! Through!  You made me do things that I couldn't control.  I want to be in control. I want you to leave!  The card mage removed you from my body, why are you still here?'

_"The card mage removed me, but not the hate inside of you.  I can still communicate with you. Until you let go of that hate, I will stay with you forever!"_

'Then I will rid myself of all hate!' she thought.

_"You can't do that."_

'I can and I will!'

_"How? You do not love men!"_

'I don't have to.  I'll just stop hating them.  I'll learn to appreciate them.  There are two good men that I almost killed today.  I'll start with them.'

_"It won't be easy for you, Ruki!"_

'It might not, but I have to try.  Let me sleep!  I need to rest!  LEAVE ME NOW!"

The demon's voice started to drift far away.

_"Ruki--what are you doing?"_

'Ryo has always loved me! If it weren't' for you then maybe I would've felt the same way!  If he is dead, I'll…'

_"You'll what, Ruki?"_

'I will fight you and all demons like you!  I just want to be left alone'

_"I won't leave you alone! You need me!"_

'I don't need you! I don't need anyone.  I can get fine on my own.  I've done it before without your help, you demon!  GO AWAY and let me SLEEP!'

_"No! Ruki, you cannot get rid of me that easily!" _his voice got softer and softer as he yelled at her but she didn't listen to him.  She needed to rest.  Soon, she was resting. She dreamed again but she was no longer in the cell but standing over a creek seeing herself.  Her reflection changed from as she looked at that moment, to when she was a little girl, to when she became a gladiator and then Midnight Fox.

The demon was gone forever. She ended her hate but she was still confused.  She was the gladiator queen and the assassin midnight fox.  They were great titles.  The demon spirit might have left her body and mind and memory, but it wasn't the thing that plagued her mind.  It was herself and the kind of woman she used to be. But there was a problem-- a great problem indeed.

  Who was she now?

_DISCOMFORT, ENDLESSLY HAS PULLED ITSELF UPON ME_

_DISTRACTING/REACTING_

_AGAINST MY WILL I STAND BESIDE MY OWN REFLECTION_

_IT'S HAUNTING HOW I CAN'T SEEM…_

_TO FIND MSYELF AGAIN_

_M WALLS ARE CLOSING IN_

_WITHOUT A SENSE OF CONFICENCE AND I'M ONVICNCE_

_THAT THERE'S JUST TOO MUC PRESSURE TO TAKE}_

_I'VE FELT THIS WAY BEFORE_

_SO INSECURE_


	7. Who am I now?

**Broken Worlds 6**

**Who Am I Now?**

I do not own digimon tamers.

After everyone had a meal and retired to bed, Juri roamed the halls, checking in on her guests.  She wasn't used to having so many guests at once, especially guests like these.  They were meant to be together.  Juri didn't know what to make of it.  Takato came to her tavern often so she was comfortable with him staying. She just could not believe that two bounty hunters who tracked the most feared assassin in the country, a traveling martial artist and his sister, former gladiator king and queen were in her tavern. Not to mention her good friend Takato was an illusionist and never knew it. She never had such an opportunity.   Everyone was fast asleep and knowing that they were all right, she decided to retire to bed herself.  On her way to bed, she noticed light coming from one of the rooms.  

"Who could be up?" she said quietly, walking to the room.  She peaked in, seeing that Takato was still awake.  "Takato, are you all right?  Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm all right," he answered her.  He was sitting Indian style on his bed working on a sketch.

"May I come in?"

"Of course."

Juri walked inside of the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "Why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep," he replied.  "I was just too excited, I suppose."

"What are you working on?" she asked.  "May I see?"

"It's not finished yet," he said, "but you can take a look at it."  He handed her the sketch.  "It's us…the demon seekers.  See, there's you, me, Jenrya…I haven't gotten to the others yet."

"It's beautiful, Takato," she said.  "All your sketches are so good."

"I can't wait until the morning," he said excitedly, "then we can be off on our quest and stop all the demons.  I think when I'm done with this sketch I'll do a flag."

"What a lovely idea," Juri commented, "I think we have enough fabric here to make one."

He nodded, "I'll start on it tomorrow then.  Juri, how come you never told me you were a card mage?"

"I--well, I don't know," she said, slightly nervous.  "How come you didn't tell me you was an illusion maker?"

"I didn't know I was one," he sighed.  "I've always been an artist.  I had no idea I was an illusionist.  But then I had a dream a while ago.  It was about me," he explained, touching his amulet, "wearing this and I was surrounded by things I created.  I woke up and I found this."  He pulled out a picture of him wearing his amulet.  "I drew this before Alice came.  I forgot how I got the amulet.  I thought it was a gift but it actually came from the drawing!"

"What?" Juri asked.

"She's right.  After I drew it, I left to get more ink and I came back to find this amulet on top of the drawing."  He grinned excitedly, "If I can make an amulet become real from just a drawing, think of what else I create!"

Juri smiled, "that's a wonderful gift, Takato.  Maybe it's because you're so imaginative and everything you draw does look real."

"Why thank you, Juri."

"It's quite late," Juri said.  "You should get some rest."

"I don't think I can go to sleep.  Why don't you bring me the fabric for the flag and I'll have it done by morning?"

Juri giggled and stood up.  "Takato, get some sleep.  It's been an awfully long day."

He sighed.  "I can't sleep.  I'm just too excited."

"I know.  I am too."

There was a moment of silence.  Takato yawned.

"Ah, you're starting to look tired."  Juri said.

Takato smiled, "I suppose I should get some sleep.  I draw better when I'm refreshed. Juri?"

"Yes Takato?" 

"I'm glad you decided to come with us."

"Oh…" she blushed slightly and smiled, "Me too.  Goodnight, Takato."

"Goodnight, Juri."

Juri kissed his temple abruptly and left Takato alone.  Takato looked down at his many sketches, unable to keep from smiling. Then an idea for another sketch came to him.

"Ah…" he picked up his quill and started to sketch quickly, followed by some paint.

Yawning quietly and setting a shield around the tavern to keep it safe from invaders, Juri went to her room.  She put the candlestick on her nightstand and took the bun out. As she sat down at her vanity set to brush her hair, she found something else on it.

"What's this?" she wondered out loud. She gasped. "Oh…my very own amulet."

It was official now. Juri was a demon seeker.  Juri picked up the amulet and gazed into the gem, a beautiful polished yellow topaz. Juri giggled.

"Thank you, Takato."

****

Though she was the last to go to sleep, Juri was the one to wake up. Alice said that she would be coming in today to talk to them all again.  Juri wanted everything ready.  After putting the bun in her hair, she placed her new amulet around her neck and started down stairs.  She heard Hirokazu's snoring from his and Kenta's room and she giggled slightly. Everyone was still asleep.  She started to cook a breakfast for her guest and the smell drifted upstairs.

The next to wake up was Takato.  "Morning, Juri."

"Good morning," she said.  "Breakfast should be ready in a minute.  I bet you'd like the fabric for that flag? I can get it in a minute."

 "No, you don't have to and get it," Takato said.  "You can tell me where it is.  Is it in the storage cellar?"

Juri nodded, "yes.  You sure you don't want me to get it for you?"

"I can manage.  Thank you."  He left for the cellar. "I want it to be a surprise."

Jenrya and the bounty hunters woke up next.  "You were snoring again, Hirokazu."

Kenta muttered.

"I was not!" Hirokazu exclaimed.  "Good morning Juri! Everything smells good.  Is it all right if I just help myself?"  He picked up the hotcake she was cooking with his bare hands.  

"Hirokazu!" Kenta cried.  

Juri giggled, "Not at all. Be my guest."

Jenrya raised an eyebrow, "he must be hungry."

"Did you gentlemen sleep well?" Juri inquired.

"Best sleep I had in my life," Hirokazu stated, licking his fingers.

"Because you were snoring," Kenta said.

A stretching Shuichon walked down the stairs.  "A little bird told me breakfast is about ready."

Hirokazu chuckled, "hahaha! That's funny!"

"No, Hirokazu, she's serious," Kenta said. "She can talk to animals, remember?"

"Oh, right.  I knew that." Hirokazu said.

Shuichon sat down and Jenrya gave her some milk.  "Are you all right?" he asked.  

"I'm fine."  Shuichon replied. "Everyone still asleep?" 

"Just Ryo and Ruki." Juri said.

Ryo came in, but not down the stairs, but through the front door and all sweaty.  Everyone looked at him in concern.

"Ryo!" Juri gasped, running to him and grabbing his arm. "Are you all right? What were you doing outside?"

"I was just out for some air," he explained.  "Nothing to worry about."  

"Did you sleep well?"

"I did. Thank you."

"How about some breakfast?"

"Good. I'm famished."  He sat down.

"You gave me quite a scare," Juri said.  "I thought we were under attack."

"Sorry.  I saw the sun come through my window and thought I'd take a walk.  The sun hasn't looked like this in years."

"Maybe the demons are all leaving," Jenrya suggested, eating some bread.

"Jenrya, tell me again about the woman you saw last night," Shuichon said.  "She said you were the demon seekers."

"Who?" Hirokazu asked.  

"Takato and I talked to a woman named Alice last night," Jenrya explained, "She said it was our destiny to stop the demons.  Mine, Takato's, Ruki's and Ryo's.  That's why we went to prison to get her last night."

"You took her out of prison?" Kenta asked.

"I'm surprised we lived through the night."  Hirokazu muttered.

"She's too tired to fight," Juri said.  "She may be asleep for a while."

"You must be Shuichon," Ryo said, walking to her.   

Shuichon nodded.  "Yes.  I know who you are.  You're the gladiator king.  Are you all right?"

"I should thank you."

"Thank me?"

"You saved my life by telling the bounty hunters how to find Midnight Fox."

Shuichon's lips spread to a grin, "oh…I…was just doing what I could to help."

"Thank you."

Shuichon clasped her hand with his.  "Glad I could help."

****

Juri was partly wrong about Ruki.  She was too tired to fight but she wasn't asleep still.  Ruki was already awake but didn't come down stairs. She had to get away from the tavern.  She looked around the room and found a clean set of clothes already laid out for her.  Juri took hospitality very serious and left items for her guests.  Ruki took off the soiled prison garments off and dressed in the clothes Juri left for her.  Ruki groaned distastefully.  She didn't approve of the garments.  It was a dress.

"I hate dresses," she muttered to herself. "But at least it's clean."

Ruki walked to the window and opened it.  Before she jumped out, a voice spoke.

"Where would you go?" 

"What?" she spun around.   Jenrya stood in the doorway.  He walked inside.  "You."

"Where would you go?" he asked again.

"I do not know," Ruki replied.  "Just…away, far away from here."

"You have to stay," Jenrya said.  "A woman named Alice will be coming soon.  It's important that you listen to what she has to say.  You're part of a clan called the demon seekers."

"I can't stay," Ruki grumbled.

"Why not?" Jenrya asked.  "Juri has healed you."

"She left me a dress to wear too."

"I like it."

Ruki grunted.  "I need to go away."

"But the evil spirit that possessed you is gone now."  Jenrya said, confused.

"Perhaps," Ruki said, turning back to the window.  "But there is something else that can't be trusted."

"What's that?"

"Me," she answered.  "Don't you see?  I can't stay here.  I used to be the gladiator queen and an assassin. I've…killed so many people. I must go."

"Don't worry, Ruki, that's over now."

"You trust me?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Jenrya nodded.  "Of course."  
She turned around and folded her arms, "but how can you trust me, when I don't even trust myself?  I'm still dangerous. A part of me still wants to fight.  I was a horrible person.  I would've killed you and I wouldn't have cared!"

"I don't believe you," Jenrya said.

"What?"

"It wasn't you that killed all those people, it was the demon using your body as a weapon. You wouldn't have killed me if you could help it."

"You're wrong!" she hissed. "I can still kill you now…but…I'm so tired…too tired to keep fighting.  I have to leave. I don't know who I am anymore."

"I can tell you who you are and are not," Jenrya said.  "You're not the gladiator queen and you're not midnight fox.  Those days are gone.  You're Ruki."

"Just Ruki?" she asked.  "But…that's not enough!"

"If you join us," Jenrya suggested, "you'll be Ruki the Demon Seeker. Listen," he walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders, making her gasp in surprise, "I understand that you're confused and if you need some time to find yourself, I think that would be wise.  I trust that you'll come back to us when you're ready."

"You're--you're letting me go?"

Jenrya smiled. "Yes. I won't tell the others I let you go.  I'll just say I found you gone."

"Thank you…er.."

"Jenrya," he told her.

"Jenrya.  Jenrya, thank you."  She climbed into the window and looked behind her shoulder.  She smiled unintentionally and she couldn't believe it actually felt good.

"Good luck."

Ruki jumped out of the window and took whatever path would lead her to herself.

***

"Ruki's gone," Jenrya said when he came back down the stairs.

"Gone?" Kenta asked.  "I hope that she's not going to attack anyone."

"They unarmed her when we took her in," Hirokazu said. "She doesn't have any weapons."

"She _made_ her weapons," Kenta reminded, "and she can make them again."

"We don't need her," Shuichon snorted.  "I couldn't trust her."

"Shuichon…" Jenrya scolded.

"I wouldn't worry," Juri said, "if she really is a demon seeker, then she should be able to take care of herself just fine.  Maybe she'll catch up."

Ryo looked over at Jenrya doubtfully.  'If he found her missing,' he thought, 'then why didn't he come sooner?  What is it that he's not telling us?'

"It's finished!" shouted a voice, scaring everyone in the tavern.  Hurried footsteps came up the cellar stairs and into the bar.  "It's finished!"  Takato held up his flag over his head and laughed.  

"What is that?" Kenta asked.

"it's our flag!" he exclaimed.  "See, there's me, Juri, Jenrya and Ruki…where is Ruki?"

"She left," Jenrya said.

"Maybe she saw how badly you drew her and decided to leave," Hirokazu said.  "What the--you fool--you didn't draw me with a nose!"

Juri leaned forward, "oh, I think it's wonderful."

"Thank you," Takato said.  "I'm glad that someone likes it."

The front door flew open.  Shuichon screamed and Ryo stepped in the doorway ready to fight.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Greetings, demon seekers."  Said a mysterious voice.

"Wait," Takato ran up and put his arm in front of Ryo.  "It's all right.  She's a friend."

Alice walked in with her giant dog behind her.  Shichon gasped.  "I never saw a dog like that before--Jenrya--it's one of those Devas!"

"Don't worry," Alice said. "He won't hurt you.  He's not like the others."

"He's friendly?" Shuichon asked.

"Yes."

"Good dog," Shuichon walked to the large dog and started to pet him.  "Oh, he likes me!"

"All animals like you, Shuichon," Jenrya said.

"There is four Devas left, Jenrya."

"I know."

"You're wrong," Juri said quickly.

"What?" Jenrya looked over at her.  Juri was shaking.  

"Juri, what's the matter?" Takato asked.

"There's three left." Juri corrected.  "Just the boar, dragon and rooster.  I destroyed the rat."

"You never told me this!" Takato exclaimed.

Juri let out a loud sigh and clenched her fists.  Takato sensed that something was very wrong.   Whatever happened when she destroyed the rat that day, must've been very bad.

"I didn't expect to use my powers," Juri said, "but then our village was attacked by the giant rat. It was rabid. The rat killed my father and Masahiko's mother.  We used to own a lion.  You see…Shuichon isn't the only one with a love for animals. Masahiko and I found the lion when it was a cub in the wild and we took care of it.  It tried to protect Masahiko and me…but it was still young.  The rat deva was a magical creature unlike our lion and it killed it. Masahiko and I were left alone to defend for our selves.  I had no choice but to use my cards on the rat.  Something changed in me forever…"

"What elment was it?" Shuichon asked.

"Fire," she replied.  "So I couldn't use any fire spells.  I had to use cold spells."  Juri closed her eyes, remembering what happened that day three years ago.

****

_Flashback_

Sixteen-year-old Juri held her half brother to her as she watched her lion be slain before her very eyes.

"No!" she screamed.  "No!"

The rat jabbed its hand into the young lion's body.  The rat's claws were very long and sharp.  He flung the young lion aside.  

"Was that your kitty cat?" the rat asked, licking the blood off his fingers.

Juri tried to keep her tears from running. "You're…you're just evil!  He was just trying to protect us and you--I'll never forgive you! Why you monster! Who are you?" she patted her crying brother's head, stroked his hair as she stepped in front of him.  'It's up to me to protect my brother and my village,' she thought. 'I wish there was another way.  Be strong, Juri.'

Juri reached into a purse she had on her belt and pulled out a card.  "I will banish you…with fire!" 

"Bring it on!"

"Neeeeaaaarrrgggghhh!" she threw the spell card toward the monster and it changed into a bolt of fire.  It hit the rat, ingulfing him in flames.  

He started to laugh. "Foolish little girl!  My element is fire. You cannot destroy me with fire.  By using a fire spell you just added to my power!"  he slashed the air, sending three waves of fire toward her and Masahiko.  Juri held on to her wits and courage as she used another card.  Just before she and her brother were barbequed, water swirled around them, drowning out the flames.

"Then…I'll just have to put out your fire!" she exclaimed.  She took out a card and held it out in front of her.  It became very windy and everything was flying around.  Masahiko held on her in shock.

"Juri, what's happening?" he cried.

"I'm just using wind to put out this fire," she replied quietly.  The wind hit the giant rat while he was in his elemental stage of fire and the wind spread the fire onto trees and houses.

"No!" she shouted.

"You'll have to try again," he said.  "Go on, pick a card, any card."

Juri knew what she had to do.  She needed to use all her cold spell cards.  She hit him with a shower of ice, which he melted into water droplets.  She tried a fog card, but he was able to thin it with his fire breath. She used her rain card but the rain evaporated before it reached the flames on him. "Three cards left…" she said to herself, "one of these must stop him!" 

"Give it up girl!"

"I'll never give up!" she shouted.  "I'll use up all the cards I have until you are gone!"  She held out a card in front of her with a symbol of a river.  There was a loud noise coming from behind the rat.  It sounded like a waterfall.

"What is that?" the rat turned around to see a giant wave of water heading for him. "No!" he shot at it with fireballs, creating steam but the water kept coming. He heard another sound coming behind him.  He looked over his shoulder to see a giant ice crystal.  It ripped through his torso and the water crashed down on him. The ground underneath him became a hole, which he fell through. After being torn with an ice crystal, drowned out with water, he was buried underneath the ground.

Juri sighed and slumped forward. "I did it…" she hurried over to where the rat was pulled through the ground, finding steam evaporate.  She used a card to spread out the dirt. The rat was gone.  He was dead.  

And all from a young card mage that just refused to give up.

"I did it…" Juri said again.

****

"It was a hard fight," Juri said.  "But I was able to defeat him with the right spell cards."

"That's amazing," Shuichon said, "I would've been too afraid to fight him."

"But you and your brother killed the others," Juri said.

"I know…but the others were different."

"The dragon is the strongest out of all of them," Juri stated.

"Correct," Alice said.  "After you'll defeat him, you'll be able to find the door to the demon's world."

"I thought you said we had to meet Shibumi," Jenrya said.

"Yes.  He'll have weapons for you."

"We have weapons," Hirokazu grunted.

"Your mortal weapons aren't good enough," she explained.  "You need enchanted ones.  Shibumi can tell you what the amulets mean.  They hold great powers."

"How do we find him?" Ryo questioned.

"Don't worry," Alice said. "He'll find you."

**TBC**


	8. Leaving Home

**Broken Worlds 7**

**Leaving Home**

_Disclaimer: I do not own digimon Tamers_

Alice explained a little more of what the demon seekers should to and be wary about.  She gave Shuichon, Ryo, Hirokazu and Kenta their own amulets.  

"You'll need to leave here shortly," Alice suggested.  "Time is running out.  Shibumi can help you."

"Is there anything you can tell us?" Jenrya question.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, "but there are some things that you must learn on your own.  I've told you enough already."

"What do you mean?" Juri questioned. "Are you taking a big risk coming to us?  Do the demons know who we are?"

Alice sighed, "they are everywhere, even in the day.  They're watching us."

"Maybe you should come with us," Takato said.

"Thank you, but I am not completely harmless.  I can take care of myself."  She nodded to her giant dog.  "Let's go…"

She stood up and walked out of the tavern with her companion.  The demon seekers stepped out to watch her leave, wondering all the same questions.  The clouds began circling in the sky above Alice as she started walking away.  Juri gasped.

"Watch out!"

Something emerged from the clouds but Alice stood ready. She was right about being able to take herself.  Her giant dog started snarling at the monster and attacked.

"Is it one of those Devas?" Kenta questioned. 

"No," Juri said, "The remaining Devas are the rooster, boar and dragon.  I don't know what that thing is.  It's not an animal form like the others."

"It has no shape," Jenrya said.

"We've got to help her!" Ryo shouted, breaking in a run.  "Don't worry, Alice!"

Alice held up her hand and began glowing.  Ryo stopped short.  

"She's a sorceress," Juri whispered.

"Like you," Takato said.

"No…her powers are natural," Juri said with closed eyes.  "She's more powerful than me.  I can't cast spells without any cards."

Alice chanted something over and over again while her dog battled with the monster.  It was like a dark fog with red eyes, flying around the dog and spraying a mist in its face.  Before the monster attacked again, Alice destroyed the monster with one powerful blast.  She went to check on her companion and all he got from the fight was a scratch. She mounted him and looked at the others.

"You had better hurry," she said.  "They already know."

Before anyone them could ask a question, Alice and her dog vanished. Hirokazu shivered.  "That is just… creepy."

"You heard her," Juri told them, "let's move out."

"What about your home?" Takato asked.

"It'll be all right.  I can put a shield around it before I leave and Masahiko and the others can take care of it.  Let's get some supplies and go."  Juri said.  "We can't waste any time."

Takato nodded and he asked Jenrya to help him with the supplies.  Juri set the shield up around the tavern and they set off to travel on foot.  Ryo kept an eye on Jenrya.   He knew that he was hiding something.   After a few miles and they agreed to stop for a rest, Jenrya pulled Jenrya aside.

"I know you're lying," Ryo muttered.

"Lying?"

"You said that Rika was gone when you went to get her."

"She was."

"Then how come you were up there so long?"  He demanded.  "She was there when you went up there, wasn't she?  You talked to her and let her go."

"Yes," Jenrya sighed. "She couldn't come with us just yet."

"Why?"

"I suppose she couldn't trust herself with us," Jenrya said.  "I understood and decided to let her leave."

"It's dangerous out here alone."

Jenrya chuckled, "dangerous, for Ruki? She survived on her own without sleeping for the last few weeks and she was a gladiator in an arena for most of her life.  You of all people should know that Ruki should handle herself."

"It's different this time."

"How so?"

"She had a demon spirit in her.  That was how she was able to go so long without any sleep. Ruki is still strong but I think she shows more strength than she really has.  Deep in side she's hurting, but I don't know what it is.  She's also been unarmed. How is she supposed to fend for herself without any weapons?"

"Ruki said she'd probably join us later," Jenrya said.  "Trust me. She's all right.  I could tell."

"If something happens to her…."

"Oh you have nothing to worry about, Ryo," Jenrya insisted.  "Nothing will happen to Ruki, you should know that.  She'll make her own weapons and she'll come to us when she's ready.  She just has a lot to sort through."

They started moving again and Ryo just hoped Jenrya was right.  

****

 When Ruki had been walking for some time, she stopped to think and change her clothes. She hated being in a dress so she ripped it and made pants out of the material.  As she mended the clothes, she wondered why Jenrya let her leave.  Why was he being so nice to her, as if they were friends?  Ruki had no friends.  She never needed them.  All she had to trust in was she, but what if Jenrya said was true? What if she was part of their group?  What if they needed her, this very moment? They could be in trouble.  Ruki shook her head.

"They don't want me around," she mumbled.  "Not after what I did.   Two bounty hunters, two martial artists, a card mage, a gladiator and an illusionist.  They should be fine by themselves and if not, they are weak.  I'll just fight the demons on my own. They're the ones that started this anyway."  She finished ripping the dress and made a pair of new garments.  She made herself a bow and some arrows with diamond arrowheads. Again, she was in luck and found a place that had diamonds.  Though her claw was dangerous and she used it often, she found the diamond arrows the weapons she favored the most. But this time, she'll use her arrows for different purposes.  Not to kill humans or men or even animals, but the demons.  The demons that raised hell.  Out of the corner of her eye, Ruki saw something glimmering.

"Hmm? What's this?" she picked up the item and looked at it carefully.  "Why…"

It was a sapphire amulet, much like the ones the other demon seekers have.  Ruki grinned. She was one of them and the more she thought of it, perhaps fighting in a group would be good for a change. Then she could show off all her skills.

"I am no longer Ruki the Gladiator Queen, or Midnight Fox the fearsome assassin," Ruki said, "but now, I am Ruki, the Demon Seeker."

****

"Has anyone heard about this Shibumi?" Shuichon questioned.

"No," Takato replied.  "Sounds like a mysterious individual.  But I'm excited to meet him.  I want to know how he made these things."

There was a rustle in the bushes and everyone stood ready.  "What's that?" Jenrya said.

The earth shook beneath them.  Shuichon screamed.  Something was coming toward them, something big.

"It's got to be one of the Devas," Juri said.  

She was right. It was the boar.  It was walking through the forest, trampling over everything.

"We've got to destroy that thing!" Takato exclaimed.

"My pleasure," Hirokazu held up his crossbow. "I was getting hungry.  How about some bacon and eggs, everyone?"  He aimed his crossbow between the boar's eyes.  He fired but the bolt bounced off its tough skin. "What?"

"Juri, what element is it?" Shuichon questioned.  "Maybe you can find it's weak point."

"I'll try," she held out a cold card and attacked it with a blast of water.  Though the pig was soaked, it was still moving, slowly, but it wasn't stopping.  "It's water resistant.  I don't think its element is fire."

Shuichon breathed in a sigh of relief, "oh, good.  I'll try now."  The young, quick girl jumped high and kicked the pig in the snout.  But it was incredibly strong and she broke her foot kicking it. Shuichon let out a cry and fell down.

"My…leg…my foot!" she gasped.  "I think it's broken."

Jenrya hurried over to her.  "Impossible.  How can it be so strong? It's a giant pig!"

"I'll try a hot spell now," Juri stated, taking out a card.

"Hot spell?" Shuichon gasped.  "No, wait!"

She sent a blast of fire toward the pig.  It stunned it long enough to buy some time.  Its ears started melting.

"It is vulnerable to fire," Jenrya said, picking his sister up in his arms.  "It must be water or wood elemental."

"Or metal," Takato finished.  He groaned.  "If only I can make my powers work…but I can't think of anything!"

"We can't attack it with any of our techniques, Jenrya," Shuichon said. "It's so hard…like rock almost!"

"Then it must be metal," Hirokazu said.  "Juri, melt that pig!"

"No, don't!" Shuichon cried.  "Don't use fire! Maybe…maybe you can freeze it instead!"

"It should've became rusty after my water card," Juri said.  "Maybe if I heat it enough it will melt into a pile of liquid metal and we can use it for new weapons."

"Sounds like a plan!" Kenta exclaimed.

Juri raised a card, "you might want to get out of the way.  It's going to get very hot!"

But before Juri used the card, something whizzed by her hand and got lodged in the pig's eye. It squealed in pain and shook its head.

"What was that?" Kenta questioned.

"It looked like an arrow," Ryo said.

Another arrow flew out of nowhere and into the other boar's eye.  Then a flurry of hours started piercing its skin.  

"Wait…" Jenrya whispered, "I recognized those arrows. The arrowheads were diamonds!" He looked in the direction the arrows were coming from and he saw Ruki knelt on a tree branch firing arrows at the pig.  "It's Ruki!"

"The arrows are working," Ryo said amazed. "Of course! Diamonds are stronger than metal!"

Ruki jumped from the tree branch and walked forward. "I've wounded it," she said. "Now one of you needs to finish it."

"I will," Ryo said, unsheathing his sword.  

"Is the blade sharp enough?

"It's good steel," he insisted.

"Ryo, I have an idea."  Juri said, "I will heat the sword with a minor spell card. It should make your sword hot enough to destroy the boar, but don't worry, it won't harm yours.  After the boar is gone, you can use it's metal on your sword."

"Excellent."  

Juri took out her card and touched the tip of Ryo's sword with it.  It glowed red for a short moment.  "Now!"

Ryo charged the boar with his heated sword.  "Eat this you pig of destruction!" He jumped onto the pig's back and pushed his sword though the pigs skin and into it's meat.  

"You cannot defeat me!" the pig screamed, trying to shake Ryo off.  He pushed his sword father, as far as it could go until the pig began to melt away.  All that was left of the pig was softened metal. Ryo added it to his sword, making it sharper and stronger.  Juri took out a blank card and dipped it in the metal. 

"You have blank cards too?" Takato asked, surprised.

"Yes," Juri replied. "I can create some.  Now I have a card with a metal element.  I can create anything out of metal to appear, a sword, a dagger, an axe…it doesn't matter.  Gentlemen," she turned to Hirokazu and Kenta. "You may use the rest."

"Thank you, Juri," Hirokazu said.

They resumed moving again and Hirokazu grinned as he whispered to Kenta, holding his hand by his mouth.

"Juri likes me," he bragged.  Kenta groaned. Juri went to Shuichon and bent down.

"How's your leg?" she asked.

"It hurts badly," Shuichon replied.  "I think I need a doctor."

"She can fix it," Jenrya insisted.

"You can?"

Juri took out the healing card and healed Shuichon's leg.  Shuichon gasped.  "How did you do that?"

"That was how she healed me," Jenrya said, "and Ryo."

Shuichon smiled, "I'm so glad you came with us, Juri!" 

"Thank you," Juri said.

Shuichon looked in Ruki's direction and sneered, "I wish she didn't come…"

"I think she's safe now," Jenrya said.

"Still, I don't trust her," Shuichon said.  "We don't really need her.  Juri's the only other girl we need here."

***

It became dark and the demon seekers set up camp.  "Why don't we keep going?" Ruki demanded.  

"Most of the demons are out at this time," Juri replied.  "Alice warned us to keep off foot at dark.  We'll be safe by the fire."

"I think I'll sit out and watch," she suggested and stepped into the darkness of the woods.  

"I don't think she's warmed up to us yet," Takato said.

"At least she hasn't killed all us," Hirokazu muttered.

"She saved our lives," Ryo reminded hotly.  "Show some gratitude."

Hirokazu bit his lip.  He ate his own words right there.  "Sorry.  I--I just--"

Ryo groaned and walked away.  He sat down under a tree.  Hirokazu and Kenta exchanged glances.  Also away from the group sat Shuichon behind a rock.  Not knowing of her fear of fire, Hirokazu walked to her.

"Shuichon, what are you doing away from the fire?" he asked.  "Aren't you cold?"

"No thank you," she whispered shivering.  "I'm all right."

"Don't be silly," he said. "Come join us by the fire. You must be starving." He took her hand.

"I'd rather not."

"It's safer next to us," Hirokazu insisted, pulling on her hand.

"No…please," she saw the flames of the fire and gasped.  "I'll be all right.  Just give me a blanket."

"Shuichon, what's the matter?" Hirokazu asked.

Shuichon tried to wriggle her hand free.  "I don't want to."

"You're freezing," he said.  "The fire should warm you up."

"That's enough!" Jenrya shouted, pulling Shuichon away from Hirokazu.  "What do you think you're doing?"

"I just thought she'd be warmer by the fire," Hirokazu said, confused.

"You fool," Jenrya muttered, "Shuichon is afraid of fire!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Well now you know."  Jenrya snarled.

"Why is she afraid?" Kenta asked.

"Seven years ago our village was attacked," Jenrya retorted, "rode in with torches.  Our home caught on fire and one of the torches landed right on top of Shuichon.  She was just a little girl and she's been afraid of fire ever since. She can hardly stand candles. Didn't you notice her burns?"

Hirokazu frowned, "I see.  I'm sorry, Shuichon."

"You should be," Jenrya muttered.

"Don't be so mad at him, Jenrya," Shuichon whispered.  "He didn't' know.  He was just trying to be nice.  It's not his fault I'm such a coward…"

"We've all got fears, Shuichon," Hirokazu said.  

"You go on and sit down," Jenrya told his sister.  "I'll have Juri bring you a blanket with some soup."

Shuichon nodded and went back to her spot.  Jenrya walked away, but not without giving Hirokazu a glare.  Hirokazu folded his arms.

"How rude," he mumbled to Kenta.  

"I get the feeling they don't want us," Kenta said. "After all…we're just bounty hunters."

Hirokazu gasped.  "Kenta!  We're more than just bounty hunters!"

"But we didn't do anything to stop that boar," Kenta said.  "Maybe we should go back to Raiden.  I'm sure there's a new outlaw they want us to capture."

"We'll do that after we catch the real outlaws! The demons!" 

Kenta sighed.  "I'm going to bed."  
*****

Ruki was standing about a half a mile away from camp looking out to the wilderness.  She heard someone come up behind her and she turned around. Seeing it was only Jenrya, she looked ahead again and groaned.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I wanted to thank you for coming back," Jenrya told Ruki.

Ruki moaned, as a sign that she heard him.  

"I knew you would."

She moaned again.

"Why did you come back?"

"I don't know," she retorted. "Just felt like it."

Jenrya wasn't surprised by her reply.  She had been alone most of her life. Being in a group had to be difficult for her. She might have come back, but she still had a cold exterior.  That was expected. They needed someone cold. Rather she just felt like coming back or there was a real reason behind it, he was glad she came back.  

"I talked to Ryo," he said.  "He knew I just let you go.  He was angry but I think he's not angry anymore knowing you're back in one piece.  Neither of us knew why you hate men so much.  He asked you that many times but you never answered him."

"So you think you'll get me to answer you instead?" she demanded.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Jenrya said, coming to her side.  "It's not that important.  I can try and guess and you can just give me a yes or no. Did you have a lover that left you?"

"No," she replied.  She looked down. 'No one wanted to be my lover.'

"Then…it had to have been your father," he guessed, "am I right?"

Ruki felt her heart sting and a gasp escaped her mouth.  "What?"

"I am right," Jenrya said.  "You hate men because of your father."  

"You don't know what you're' talking about," she muttered.

"If it wasn't a lover or your father, maybe a brother?"

"I had no brother.  No sister."

"I see. You hate men for no reason.  You hate everyone, including yourself."  
She flinched as if he had stabbed her.  She turned to him. "You're wrong!"

"Oh?  You didn't give me a reason."

Ruki hung her head and looked away.  "You're right…I lied.  It was my father."

"What did he do?" he questioned.  "Did he hurt you?"

"No," she said.  "I don't remember much about him.  My father just left one day, without a word of where he went or when he'd be back.  My mother didn't tell me why either.  So I ran away.  My father didn't want me and I suppose my mother didn't either."

"I'm sorry, Ruki."

"I don't want your pity," she hissed.

"But it's the truth." He reached for her and she slapped his hand.

"You have your answer," she told him, turning back around.  "You know why I hate men.  Now go."  
"But I'm nothing like your father," Jenrya said.  "I'm not.  There are good men left in the world, Ruki.  Some of them are right at camp."

"That is not why I came back."

"Then why?" 

"I wanted to see if you'll accept me," she said, "and forgive me but I don't fell accepted yet."

"I've accept you and I've forgiven you."

"Not your sister. I know she hates me."  
"But Shuichon is just upset," Jenrya said. "She really doesn't hate you.  What she hates is what you did and it wasn't really you, but that demon inside of you.  I believe that you have a good heart, Ruki.  Shuichon still is plagued by the memory of what happened. She has nightmares of those dark riders coming into our village, setting everything on fire.  My older brother Rinchei was killed and my sister Jaarin was--"

"That name…" Ruki whispered. "Jaarin…"

"You knew Jaarin?" Jenrya asked.  "You knew my sister? Is she still alive?"

Ruki nodded and turned around. "I met her while I was a gladiator. I wasn't there for long; perhaps just a few months and I left the arena for a while to train.  I liked it better outside the arena in the wilderness.  Yamaki gave me permission to roam free so I wouldn't have to train with the others. The man was like a father to me."

"A father?"

She shrugged, "yes, but I still didn't like men.  It didn't matter.  I wasn't too far from the arena when I heard a woman screaming for help.  It was your sister Jaarin.  She fled from her kidnappers and they were after her…" she closed her eyes and remembered that day. 

****

"Someone help!" Jaarin shouted. She had already killed a man and injured another but she herself was injured and tired.  "Anyone!"

Her cries for help stopped Ruki and she went to the sound. Peaking through the trees, she saw a woman in rags, bloody and beaten, running as fast as her weary legs could carry her. Ruki thought maybe she shouldn't get involved and maybe she should return to her training.  It was the woman's' fault that she was in this. 

The woman tripped and fell on the ground.  The greedy men started laughing as they came close.

"Thought you could get away from us, didn't yah?" one demanded. "Just for that, we'll kill you even slower."

 Then another thought came to her. She needed help, anybody's help and Ruki was the closest.  It was so sad.  Ruki could be in her shoes, running away from sick dogs.

_"I don't know why I did it," Ruki recalled, "something inside me told me it was the thing to do."_

"Only men would do this," Ruki snarled to herself.  And without a second thought, Ruki jumped out of the trees between Jaarin and the men.  "Why would you attack a weak woman who's already down?  Wouldn't you rather attack a strong one on her feet, or are you not mad enough to take me?"

"Oh, she's feisty," one of the men grinned.  "I'll take her."  He took out his sword and advanced to Ruki, but she grabbed his arm, disarmed him and chopped his head off with his own sword.  

"Who's next?" Ruki questioned, pointing the bloody sword at the men.  "Come on boys, I'm waiting."

"If she's this good at battle," a man said, "Imagine what she's like in bed!"

Ruki snarled and jumped up, "For that remark, you'll die next!" she cut his sword in half and split his belly open.

The woman sat up and looked at Ruki. Her style of fighting was incredibly fierce.  'How did she learn to fight like that?'

The remaining men stood shocked at the way she fought. This was how men fought, not weak, pathetic women. But Ruki was not like other women.  She fought hard, fast and vicious. She knew where all the vital parts were and attacked them accurately and quickly.  

"And I haven't even warmed up," Ruki said with a grin on her face, stained with the men's blood. "You pigs!  Attacking this poor girl…how would you like me to kill _you_ slowly?  I will not let you live!"

"Who are you?" 

"I am Ruki, the gladiator queen!" she snarled.  "I am a gladiator at Yamaki's arena of fighters and I am his best female fighter. Care to see any more of my attacks?"

A few dropped their weapons and started running while the others stayed.

"Cowards! Fight me!" she ran after them to finish them off.  She was one woman against six men now.  They tried cornering her and before one could attack, he was knocked out with a rock.  

"What?" Ruki looked up and the woman she was trying to protect had gotten to her feet to help Ruki. 'She can fight too…'  Ruki killed two more men with the sword and Jaarin used the martial arts she learned from her father.  Ruki was impressed with how she fought.  Her raw strength was not very good though she was knowledgeable of different weapons.   Jaarin knew how to use her own body as a weapon but never had the chance to use a sword or other deadly weapon.  As if they were great allies in battle, the girls moved back to back to finish the assailants together.

"Ah, this will get more interesting," a man sneered.

"I'll take what I can," Jaarin whispered to Ruki, "you just cover me."

"Sounds like a plan."

As Jaarin jumped around using kicks and punches, Ruki swung and slashed her sword. Within moments, they lay dead around the two girls.  Ruki turned to Jaarin. "Thank you. Why did you help me?"

"I couldn't let you take them all by yourself," Jaarin said, "not when I could still fight. I was down, but not permanently" She forced a smile, "I just needed to rest a bit. Why did you help me?"

"I uh," Ruki tried to think of an answer, "I just couldn't let them attack you. Besides, you were calling for help, weren't you?  I was the only one close enough to hear you."

"You are a good fighter."

"I train hard," Ruki said. 

"How long have you been a gladiator?"

She shrugged, "a few months…almost a year."

 "How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

Jaarin looked around her, "and you took care of all these men yourself?"

"No, you helped me.  I could've handled them, but you made it go quicker. You're quite good yourself.  We can use another woman in the arena."

"OH, I couldn't be a gladiator," Jaarin said.

"You killed three men with your bare hands," Ruki asked, "I'm sure if we gave you a weapon you could do more."

"I've never been taught how to use weapons.  Just karate."

"Then we can teach each other," Ruki touched her shoulder without meaning too.  'Why was she being so friendly? She saved the girl, why doesn't she just go back to the arena?' "You can show me how you fight that way and I will teach you how to use every weapon we've got at the arena.  Is it a deal?  It is safer there than out here.  You fight every day and you might get killed, but better to die as a gladiator in an arena than out here by those pigs."

"Agreed," Jaarin said and she extended her right arm.  "And I am Jaarin."

"Ruki."  She took out her arm and they clasped hand to forearm.  "We'll get you cleaned up and then we'll start your training."

"Thank you, Ruki."

Ruki put her arm around Jaarin to help her walk to the arena.  She was tired enough already and didn't want her to tire out before she got to her new home.

****

"You saved my sister," Jenrya said, amazed.  

"Yes, but I almost killed your other," Ruki mumbled. "And you."

"Is Jaarin still a gladiator at the arena?"

"No, she died in combat."

"Was it against you?"

She shook her head, "Yamaki knew we were good friends.  We never had to fight against another but he trained together all the time.  She taught me good techniques and in return I showed her how to use weapons.  When I found you and your younger sister, I recognized some of your techniques.  Shuichon's are too complex."

"That's because she learned animal techniques," Jenrya said.  "Jaarin never learned them.  Just from what our father and our sensei taught us."

"Jaarin was a good gladiator," Ruki sighed. "The best next to me.  She died last year.  I miss her.  Fighting in the arena just wasn't the same when she died.  She fought a good fight but I hoped she'd stay longer."

"Thank you for telling me," Jenrya said. "I was afraid that those men…well…kept her as a slave."

"No, she is strong. She was able to get away."  

"Shuichon should hear this."

"Would she believe me?"

"Of course.  It's better than the alternative.  Will you come to camp?  Have you had anything?"

"No thank you," she said. "I'd better stay here and keep watch."

"Well, goodnight, Ruki."

"Goodnight."

Jenrya left Ruki alone to her thoughts.  He told Shuichon the news about Jaarin.

"Has Ruki had something to eat?" Juri questioned, adding more wood to the fire and making some stew.

"No," Jenrya looked up.  "She's gong to stay and keep watch."

"All night?" Takato questioned.

He shrugged, "I think so."

Hearing this, Ryo came to the fire. "Juri, give me a bowl.  I'll take it to Ruki."

"What about you, Ryo?" she questioned.

"Perhaps she'd rather be alone," he said.

"No, it's better that you both keep watch," she said, making two bowls.  "That way one of you can keep watch if the other falls asleep."

"All right."   He took the bowls and went to see Ruki.  "Ruki, I've brought you some food.  It's still warm."

Ruki, the memories of Jaarin fresh in her mind and tears coming to her eyes, wiped them away before turning around.

"Are you all right?"

"Er, yes," she turned and took the bowl. "Thank you, Ryo."

"You told Jenrya about Jaarin," Ryo said, sitting down on the grass.  "I heard him telling Shuichon about it."

"Yes, Jaarin was Jenrya's sister," she explained.

"You miss her, don't you?"  

"Of course I do, Ryo!" she snarled.  "She was my best friend."

"I miss her too," Ryo sighed, "she was very kind. Died too soon."

"I know, but that is what it's like in the arena," she played with her food before eating it. "But I'm glad she died an honorable gladiator's death instead of dying slowly in those dog's hands."

"You did a good thing by saving her."

"I did, I know.  But it was the only good thing I did in my life, Ryo."  She said.  "I've done awful things."

"That's not true."

"Oh?"

"You helped us today," he said.  "While we were trying to defeat the boar.  You didn't' have to come back, you really didn't.  But you came back anyway. That was a good thing.  You are a good person."

Ruki smiled.  "Thank you, Ryo.  And you are too.  I realize that all men are not bad.  Not like the men chasing Jaarin, or…my father…"

"Your father?"  He questioned. "So, it was him.  He's why…?"

"Yes.  Not a lover, but my father. He left one day when I was a little girl.  That is why I…killed so many men."

"Ruki, you don't have to worry about that anymore."

"I could've killed my father and didn't even know," she muttered.  

"I'm nothing like him."

"Yes, I know," she said.  "I know there are good men out there but I didn't care, did I?  I killed so many men.  I would've killed you and you…" she shook her head.

"What?"

"It doesn't matter.  You're one of the good men that I've met.  You, Yamaki, Jenrya and the others…now, I know you're not my real enemies, but the demons.  I will destroy them. I'll destroy them all."

TBC****


	9. Theives in the Night

**Broken Worlds 8**

**Thieves in the Night**

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon tamers and if I did…it wouldn't have ended so darn soon! {There'd be a second season to it too.}

After eating her dinner, Ruki fought to keep her eyes open.   It was getting darker and colder.  Her meal made her belly full and her body ready for rest. She shivered and rubbed her arms. 'Can't fall asleep,' she thought, 'or…they will come for me again…. can't fall asleep…they will come for everyone.'

Noticing this, Ryo pulled off his cape and draped it around her shoulders.  She gasped in surprise, looking back at him. He smiled and sat down a little ways behind her.  

"Are you going to stay up the rest of the night?" he asked her.

"Yes.  You?"

"Of course. Just in case you do fall asleep."

"I won't."

He lowered his head, "Ruki I don't think you got all the sleep you needed the night before.  You went days on end without sleeping.  You'll need days of rest before you can stay up past midnight."

"Someone has to keep watch."  She pulled the cape tighter around her.  "They could come."

"Who?"

"The demons," she replied, her voice so small and low, that he could barley hear her.  In fact, it didn't sound like her true voice at all.  Ruki almost sounded as if she was hypnotized.  "They could come and they would.  They wait…they wait until we fall asleep and they feed on us like we're sheep.  They're out there."  She looked up at the sky and shivered, hearing the creepy voices of the night.  The howling of wolves, hooting of owls and chirping of crickets filled the air.  "They're out there just waiting…waiting…waiting…waiting until we fall asleep.  But it doesn't really matter if we're asleep or wide-awake.  Oh, no, it doesn't matter if it's midnight or dawn or noon.  They come.  They come always.  I can feel it.  They're trying to scare us by not showing up, but they'll be here.  Maybe not to night, or in the morning, but they'll come."

Her talk of this made Ryo shiver.  He wished that she would fall asleep, but not just because she needed the rest, but she was making him anxious the way she was talking about the demons.  He already knew the world was in danger.  He always knew that.  She didn't have to talk like a madwoman.  Ryo cleared his throat, "Ruki, we will be ready for them.  It's our destiny."

She laughed, "our destiny.  Yes, our destiny, to destroy them.  Mark my words, Ryo; I will make damn sure they are all destroyed.  Not another demon will take another life or prey on our souls again.  I will not let them do to anyone what they did to me.  If they want someone, they'll have to take me once again."

"Please, stop talking about this!" Ryo exclaimed, standing up from where he had been sitting.  He frightened the birds that were roosting in nearby trees and they flew off.  He lowered his voice and sighed.  "What they did to you was unforgivable.  It was…inhuman.  Don't talk about it. Please. Don't even think about it.  Push it away from your mind.  You're a demon seeker now.   In the morning we'll meet with Shibumi and he'll tell us all we have to know. It will all end soon."

"Soon," she nodded. "Very soon."  Her eyelids grew heavier and she blinked.  "I'll be free, once and for all.  I can still feel them you know but now I am awake.  I know what that demon made me do and what it wanted me to continue doing.  I can still hear him speaking to me and feel him inside me.  It's this world…. what became of it.  Still too much darkness and evil.  It's crawling everywhere. But we're going to stop it…"  she blinked a few more times as she fought to stay awake, "We will stop it. We shall not fail.  We cannot…the world…depends…on us…" with that last sentence, she closed her eyes, drooped her head and fell asleep. Ryo sat down next to her and stroked her hair as he leaned her head on his shoulder.  

"Shh," he said when she sighed quietly.  He kissed her forehead.  "Just sleep, Ruki.  If we're going to destroy the demons, we'll have to be in our best condition.  It's just what Yamaki taught us. To fight, we have to be ready and rested and trained." He tightened his arms around her.  "We'll fight better when we are rested…." He yawned and felt his own sleepiness gripping on him.  Sunrise was four hours away but even then, it wouldn't be much of light but perhaps enough sleep.  He couldn't stay awake. Sleep tempted him and he submitted.  He fell asleep.

****

While the camp slept, they were unaware that they were not alone.  There were quiet footsteps around the camp and hushed voices.  Two hooded figures looked over the campers and their supplies.  As one began digging through the supply bags, another stopped at the sleeping, yet snoring Hirokazu.  It bent down and its eyes gazed on the crossbow in his arms.  If there was an attack in the night, he was ready for it.  The figure could've gone on to pick pocket the others but it chose to try and get the crossbow.  It reached inside its cloak and pulled out not a sword or knife or any other weapon, but a doll--a simple, girl's rag doll.  Slowly, the figure picked up Hirokazu's left hand and pushed it down a little. The individual now lifted his right hand and placed it over the doll as the figure removed Hirokazu's fancy crossbow from his grasp.  The figure put Hirokazu's left hand over the doll and left Hirokazu not cuddling his crossbow, but a toy.  It stood up and looked at the other one who was looking through the supplies.  It walked over to the other and spoke.

"Have you found enough?" 

"Just two days worth of food here."

"Weapons?"

"Some arrows and blades.  Nice crossbow."

They conversed quietly, though someone in the group felt something was not right. First her eyes were moving quickly underneath her eyelids and they started to twitch and blink rapidly. She sniffed a couple times in her sleep and not because she was catching a cold, there was unfamiliar scent in the air.  Finally, they opened wide and she sat up and looked at the thieves.  Being with animals long enough gave her animal instincts of her own to know when something was wrong.

"Who are you?" Shuichon demanded.  "What are you doing?" She saw them looking through their supplies and focused on Hirokazu's crossbow.  She gasped. "THEIVES! Wake up everybody!"

The thieves turned and dashed away.  Shuichon jumped to her feet. "Stop! Thieves!"

Shuichon's shouting alerted the others, Jeri waking up first.  "Shuichon, what is it?"

"Thieves!" she ran after them.  
"Shuichon, wait!  They could be dangerous! It's too dark!"  Juri exclaimed, taking out her card of radiance.  It glowed like a torch, but not with fire, but with magical means.  Juri went after her.

"Wh-whut's going on?" Kenta said quietly.

"Thieves?" Hirokazu sat up. "I hate thieves!" he held out the doll, which he thought was his crossbow.  He focused on the doll and could not believe it. "Attack---muh--my crossbow is gone!"

"I never knew you slept with dolls, Hirokazu," Kenta grinned, "and I thought I knew everything about you, blood brother."

"Shut up, you fool!" Hirokazu tossed.  "My crossbow has been stolen!"

"At least they left the bolts alone," Kenta mumbled, noticing the untouched crossbow bolts.

"What a good are crossbow bolts without a crossbow!?" Hirokazu groaned and scrambled to his feet. "Oh when I find out who---Juri, wait for me!"

"Shuichon, where's Shuichon?" Jenrya demanded.

"Juri?" Takato got up. 

"Thieves," Kenta explained as Hirokazu ran after Juri.  "They took Hirokazu's crossbow."

"Did you see them?" Takato asked.

"No, Shuichon did."

"Come on," Jenrya urged.  "We don't know what kind of thieves they are."

"I wonder how Shuichon knew there were thieves here," Takato said, following Jenrya.  "I heard nothing."

"Me nether."  Kenta said.  "Your sister must have a good sense of hearing, Jenrya."

"Yes, but it's not just the noise that let her knew there were thieves," Jenrya explained as they ran away from camp.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"The scent.  She could tell we were being robbed by the scent of the thieves."

"The scent?" Kenta and Takato said in unison.

"What's going on?" Ryo joined the others.

"I heard shouting," Ruki said.  "Is it the…?"

"Thieves," Kenta said.  "Thieves."

***

The thieves jumped over dead logs, looking over their shoulders for their pursuers.  "I think we lost them," one breathed.  

"How did that girl know we were there?" the other asked.

"I don't know. We weren't talking loud enough for anyone to hear us. Let's keep going!"

"Shuichon, where are you?" Juri questioned, moving the illuminated card around.  She heard a snap of a twig.  "Hirokazu?"

"Ow!" he muttered.  "Did Shuichon catch them?"

"I don't know…. I lost her. She moved so…so fast, even in the dark."

"Well, I hope she does," Hirokazu said.  "I want my crossbow _back!_"

Shuichon sniffed the air and swung up in trees for their scent.  Instead of going behind them, she tried to cut them off.  More than an ability to talk like animals, fight like animals, she could see like one and smell like one.  She could see perfectly in the dark like a cat or a wolf.  Her sense of smell was keen as well as her hearing.  She climbed down the tree and ran off.   She knew where the thieves were headed, but they wouldn't get far.

The thieves kept running through the thickness of the forest and stopped to catch their breath.  "I think we're safe now."

"No you're not." Said a voice above them.

"What?"

Shuichon landed in front of them and kicked them both square in the chest, flinging their cloak hoods back and revealing their faces. The thieves were just around her age, a girl and a boy.  They stepped back but the girl held on to Hirokazu's crossbow tightly.

"Give me back the crossbow!" Shuichon shouted.

"Come and get it!" said the boy.  He pulled out a poisoned dart and blew it toward Shuichon. She moved out of the way and charged them.  

"Give me the crossbow and I'll let you live!"

"I can hear her," Juri said, "this way, Hirokazu!"

Juri lead Hirokazu toward Shuichon's voice while the others ran blindly after them in the night.

"What good is a crossbow without the crossbow bolts to go with them?" Shuichon questioned.  "You should've gotten Hirokazu's bolts while you had the chance! Now give it back!"

"This pretty thing will feed us for a month!" the girl sneered.  "Thank your friend for us!"  She hid the crossbow inside her cloak and attacked Shuichon with a dagger.  Shuichon stepped back, dodging the swipes.

Juri and Hirokazu came up while Shuichon was fending off the thieves on her own.  "She found them!" Hirokazu gasped.  "Shuichon, if you get my crossbow back I'll give you a reward!"

Shuichon grabbed the girl's wrist and twisted it to make her drop the dagger.  The boy growled. "Let go of my sister!"  He shot another poisoned dart at Shuichon, but Shuichon moved around so the thief girl was shot.

The boy gasped. "Ai!"

"Makoto…." She mumbled.

Shuichon reached inside Ai's cloak, pulled out Hirokazu's crossbow and threw it to him.  "I think this belongs with you, Hirokazu!"

Hirokazu caught it. "Thanks for getting it for me!" he looked at his crossbow as if it were a lost love. "Oh, there you are! Mhwa! Mhwa!" he kissed his crossbow about ten times.

Shuichon pushed Ai to Makoto.  "You should've just given me the crossbow back."

"We needed it more," Makoto muttered, removing the dart he accidentally shot his sister with. 

"Shuichon! Shuichon!" Jenrya cried.

"She's here, Jenrya!" Juri called out. "I found her. She's all right!"

The others came up and they were amazed that Shuichon warded off two thieves all on her own and even succeeded in getting the stolen item back.  "Shuichon, are you all right?" Jenrya questioned.

"Yes, I am fine."

Juri walked to Makoto and Ai.  She gasped when she noticed matching purple amulets around their necks.  They were amulets…just like Juri's and the other demon seekers.  "Oh my…you're amulets."

"They look like ours!" Jenrya exclaimed.

"Then that means…they're demon seekers like us?" Shuichon questioned.

"How do we know they weren't stolen?" Hirokazu grunted.

"They weren't stolen!" Makoto exclaimed.  "They were given to us."

"By what?"

"By a fairy."

"A fairy?"

"Yes, a fairy!" Makoto sneered. "A fairy from the other world!"

"Other…world?" Takato asked. "Like the world Alice told us about?"

"This fairy granted wishes and gave gifts.  We found it one day while we were very sick and tired and hungry.  We wished for food and water, so it gave it to us, along with our amulets.  It told us it wasn't from this world, but from another world."

"Who are you, boy?" Juri asked.

"My name is Makoto and my sister is Ai."

Kenta looked at Hirokazu. Hirokazu gasped. "What? I told you they were just kids!"

"And one of them just stole your crossbow," Kenta said.

"Well, they're good for a couple of kids." Hirokazu mumbled, "never would've thought about switching a crossbow with a doll before…"

"If you have an amulet," Juri said, "then that must mean you're a demon seeker like us.  I suppose it is destiny meeting you like this."

"Destiny?" Makoto questioned.

"You and Ai will help us stop the demons."

"I can't…my sister is…the poison…"

"No she isn't," Juri said.   "Take her back to our camp.  I can make her better."

"You can?" he asked.

Juri gestured to Ryo and Jenrya, "these men were half dead when they were brought to me.  That was just a night ago.  They would've been dead or they would still be healing from their wounds.  Trust me, if I can heal them, I can heal your sister."

Makoto looked up at Jenrya and Ryo. They both nodded

"We will talk about our quest more," Juri explained.  "You're one of us now.  We could probably use your talents in our group."

"Exactly," Hirokazu said.  "You can sneak into places for us and…"

"Hirokazu?" Kenta muttered.  "They're outlaws!"

"But we already have an outlaw on our team," Hirokazu told his partner, "What's a couple of young thieves against an assassin?  The bounty were' after now are the real outlaws, demons! Blood brother, demons!"

Kenta frowned.

"Let's just hope we get paid," Hirokazu groaned.

"There's an hour until sunrise," Ryo said.  "Let's get back to camp before it's all gone."

The others nodded and returned.  Juri healed Ai and those who could rest, did while the others waited for the morning to come.  Shibumi was waiting for them and so were the demons.

**TBC**


	10. Meeting With the Wiseman

**Broken Worlds 9**

**Meeting with the Wiseman**

Disclaimer: As I've said before, Digimon is not mine.

Getting ready to leave camp, Makoto told the others about his and Ai's past.  Ruki went for a walk to give them time to get everything read for the journey to find Shibumi.  She wondered what kind of man Shibumi was and what help they could be to them.  Waiting after sunrise, she went back, hoping everyone would be ready.

"We've been thieves all our lives," Makoto explained.  "After our parents were killed."

"Killed how?" Shuichon questioned.

"I'm not sure," Ai said. "We were awfully young. It was almost 7 years ago. Someone, I don't know if it was a man or woman, was after our father first.  My mother got in its way and begged it to leave us in peace.  It killed our mother, then our father."

Ruki stopped and stood by a tree.   That was how she killed the men.  She went after the men first and when a woman tried to stop her from doing her task, she killed them for it.  Without anyone to stop her, she was able to destroy the men.  "I did it," she muttered.  "I killed their parents."  
"Without our parents to take care of us," Makoto said, "we had no choice but to become thieves. That's how we were able to survive."

"They're thieves," she said, "because of me."

"There you are, Ruki, where have you been?"  Ryo dropped his hand on her shoulder.

Ruki gasped. "Ryo! I…was just out for a walk while you were talking.  Are we ready to leave now?"

"Yes," Juri replied. "Everything is ready.  Let's be off now that the sun is out.  Shibumi is waiting for us."

"How are we supposed to meet him?" Makoto asked.

"Alice told us that he'll find us," Jenrya replied.

The demon seekers picked up their supplies and headed out.  Walking for about an hour, Ryo noticed something was eating at Ruki.

"Ruki, what is the matter?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"You're so…quiet and tense," he said. "I can tell. What is it?"

"Those children."

"What about them?"

"I killed their parents. I overheard them talking about how their parents were killed. That was how I killed people," she explained.  "Those children…are thieves because of me."  
"You are mistaken," Ryo said.  "It wasn't you. It couldn't have been."

"What do you mean?"

"They were killed seven years ago, long before you even became the assassin known as Midnight Fox."  Ryo told her.  "It had to be someone else.  You were in the arena with me at the time. There's no way you could've done it."

"Then…it had to be someone possessed by a demon, like I was." She said.

Suddenly, Shuichon stopped and began sniffing the air.

"Shuichon, what is it?" Jenrya asked.  

"We're not alone," she replied. "Something is here."  She pointed her nose in the air, trying to decipher the scent.

"What do you smell?"

"I don't smell anything," Hirokazu said.

"It's coming from over there," she turned and pointed.  "In the trees."

"I do hear something," Juri said.  "It sounds like…wings."

Trees fell down, ripped from the roots.  Something big knocked them over.  Shuichon jumped. "It's coming! It's one of the DEVAS!"

A giant bird, a rooster in fact, flew through the trees and cackled.  "Prepare to die!"  It circled in the air above them like a vulture.

"The rooster," Takato said.

"Let's roast that turkey!" Hirokazu declared, "Then we can eat it!"  He pulled out his crossbow, aimed and shot its right wing.  It dived and swayed a little, but did not crash down.  "Kenta, your turn!"

"Right," he pulled out his own crossbow and shot the bird's other wing.  It swayed again but it still did not crash.  Its wings were enormous.

"What element is it?" Takato asked Juri.

"I'm not sure," she replied, pulling out her metal card, "but I can find out!"  She threw her card at the rooster like a ninja star, which it changed into.  It lodged into the roster's leg.  "It's definitely is not metal or water.  If it was water it would've went right through him and if it was metal it would only leave a small scratch."

"Good thing it's not metal," Shuichon muttered, "I don't want to break my leg again.  Jenrya, let's go!"

He nodded and the two martial fighters ran toward the rooster.  Shuichon jumped and grabbed onto its talons.

"I'm going try to bring it down!"  she exclaimed, jumping off it's foot and kicking it in the face.  It howled and she climbed up on his back, punched it in the neck and tried to make it move down.  

"Get off me, infernal human!" it screeched.

"Jenrya!" Shuichon urged.

Jenrya jumped and pulled on its tail feathers.  He tried climbing up to where Shuichon was, but the rooster got mad and jerked them off.  Shuichon landed on all fours like a cat, but her brother landed a little less graceful.

"Try poisoning it," Ai told her brother.

He nodded and pulled out his darts and blow stick.  He aimed for the heart but it didn't take any effect.

"I don't understand," he mumbled.

"Its feathers are tough," Jenrya said, "and hard. Not like the boar."

"Look at his legs," Ruki said, "they look like a pair of tree trunks."

"Exactly!" Juri exclaimed, "Wood is its element!"

"Explains the splinters in my hands," Jenrya muttered.

"Wait, Juri!" Shuichon cried, "you're not going to use a fire card, card are you?"  
"Fire is the best thing to use on wood," she said.  "You may need to stay back."

"What is wrong, Shuichon?" Ai asked.

"I'm…afraid of fire," she replied 

"I'll use a lightning spell instead," Shuichon said, "but he will catch on fire still."  She pulled out her lightning card and it began to glow blue.  She sent a bolt of lightning at the large bird, but it easily dodged it.

"It's too fast!" Takato cried.

"It can't fly if it can't see," Ruki muttered, pulling out an arrow from her quiver.  She shot the animal in the eye.  It squealed and shook his head and was shot again in the other eye.  "Now, card mage!"

"I'm Juri," she whispered.

Ruki groaned but Juri tried the spell again.  The bolt of lightning hit it's wing and brought it down.  Before she had to use another spell, a giant raccoon jumped on the rooster and began to devour it.

"Where did that raccoon come from?" Ryo questioned, appalled.

Hirokazu groaned, "Oh, that blasted raccoon is eating it!  I'm starving!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Juri saw Takato standing very still, with his eyes closed tight and his mouth clenched.  He collapsed and the raccoon was gone.

"Takato!" Juri shouted, catching him and kneeling down.  Jenrya looked down at him.

"Did he…do that?" Jenrya asked.

"I believe he did," Juri said, "but it was too much for him to keep it going."

Takato groaned and opened his eyes. "Did it work?"

"Yes, the rooster deva is destroyed," Juri replied.  "Takato, did you make that giant raccoon?"

"I was trying to think of an animal that eats chickens," he said, "and then I remembered that raccoons once tried to get into my family's chicken coup.  Then…it just appeared. I was just trying to make it look like an illusion to scare the rooster but I think I made it a bit too real."

"You must be able to summon creatures then too," Jenrya suggested with a grin.  "Good work, Takato."

"Thank you, Jenrya."

"Can you walk?" he asked.

"I think so.  I feel a little weak."

Jenrya helped him to his feet and supported his weight with an arm around him.  "Shibumi should be able to explain it more."

Shuichon turned and sniffed the air.  "I smell something."

"Not another deva, is it?" Ai asked.

"No, it's human," she replied.  

A foot stepped on a dry leaf.  Shuichon flinched at hearing the crunch. Then a pair of hands began clapping.

"Who's there?" Ruki demanded.  "Come out! Show yourself!"

A man stepped out of the trees, clapping.  "Well done, demon seekers.  You took care of the Deva yourselves.  Perhaps in time you'll be able to finish the dragon."

"Who are you?" Jenrya asked.

He smiled.  "I am Shibumi."

"We've been looking for you."

"I know. Follow me." He turned around and a portal opened up in front of him. The demon seekers exchanged glances then followed him through the portal.  It took them straight to Shibumi's home.  Jenrya blinked.

"I feel like I've been here before," Jenrya said.

"You have, Jenrya." Shibumi said.

"How do you know my name?"

"Because I knew your father."

Jenrya and Shuichon looked at each other.  Shuichon gasped as Jenrya stepped closer to Shibumi, trying not to stammer. "Y-you knew my father?"

Shibumi nodded. "Yes, we were friends.  We met as scholars about thirty years ago."

"Alice told us you'd be able to explain how tog et to the demon's world."  Takato said. "Where did the demons come from? How was the world created?"

"From our dreams."  Shibumi replied simply. "Our nightmares and thoughts. That negative energy from your nightmares created the demon's world and everything in it.  Now it's trying to invade our world."

"It's bad enough they've invaded our nightmares!" Ruki shouted. "And our bodies.  I suppose you know what happened to me."

"That's right, Ruki I do." Shibumi sat down on the steps of his quite handsome looking house.  "The demons need negative energy to survive. They thrive on it.  You were just reeking with negative energy and the demons were attracted to it like moths to a flame.  You were so full of hate and anger that the demon inside refused to leave.  You were never satisfied after killing a man so you had to keep killing men.  They take over your whole body and senses. When you were tired, it took away your desire to sleep.  It took away your desire and need for food.  That's what the demons do. They take away your needs so they could fulfill their own."

Ruki clenched her fists.  "Those monsters!  They made a puppet out of me!"

"They made puppets out of many people, Ruki," Shibumi explain, "That is why we have to destroy their world.  It is very important that you all don't show any negative emotion.  The demons could sense even the slightest hint of negativity and once they feel it, they go straight to the source."

"Like sharks," Shuichon whispered, "they can smell it miles away the way sharks can smell blood."

"That is one way of putting it, yes. Fear, sadness, anger, hate, guilt--the demons love it."

Shuichon sighed.  She had a negative emotion she could not shake: her fear of fire.  A demon could be after her now because of it.  Could she overcome her fear of fire before a demon took over her body? She looked over at Ruki.  A part of her still resented Ruki for what she almost did to her brother and Ryo.  She knew she had to push away these feelings but how could she, when feelings were apart of her?  It was feelings that made up the person. And how could anyone feel anything positive in this world?  Feeling negative emotions is what prompted to do what must be done.

"Is that possible, Shibumi?" Juri asked.

"What?"

"To…control feelings," she said.  "People are free to feel whatever they want, even bad feelings.  Everyone is entitled to feel anger or sadness once in his or her life. No one can be happy forever.  Feelings are what make a person do what needs to be done. Like guilt, you see.  If a child takes something without asking, they are entitled to feel guilty about it. It's the guilt that makes him decide whether to keep it, or give it back.  Without feelings, we'd be as if were dead, sir."

Takato raised an eyebrow and looked at Juri. "Juri, what are you talking about?"

"I'm right, aren't I?" she questioned.  "All feeling is what makes us human.  It's what separates us from animals and demons."

"Animals feel," Shuichon muttered, as if she has been offended.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, Shuichon," Juri said, "but our feelings are not the same."

"Juri has a point," Ruki said.  "It's so easy to become angry or sad, especially the way things are now."

"I am not asking you to feel only positive things for the rest of your lives," Shibumi said. "Just try to refrain from feeling anything negative until you finish your mission. It is very important that when you come in contact with a demon or evil spirit, that you do not show any fear or hate."

"Even if it's toward the evil spirit?" Ai asked, confused.  

"Even that," Shibumi said. "They don't care what the feeling is focused on."

"That's…impossible!" she exclaimed.  "They are so evil.  They're the reason why my parents are dead and all I treasured is gone! How can I fight them without an ounce of fear or resentment in my heart for what they done?"

"They must know how angry we are," Makoto added.

"We'd have to become as empty of feeling as them," Takato whispered.

"Precisely," Shibumi said.  "Now, I have to train you what you need to learn.  All the weapons you have now are useless to the demons."

"They worked on the Devas," Ruki said, "some of them."

"Because the Devas were like giant animals.  They're part of this world and the demon's world. The demons are not at all like the Devas." He stood up and walked inside the armory.  Kenta and Kazu gasped at all the weapons.  "For you, Hirokazu and Kenta, you've been using crossbows for your Bounty Hunting days and you are excellent with those weapons.  So I will give you magical crossbows.  Bows and arrows for you, Ruki, with an enchanted sword.  Ryo, you are skilled with many weapons and you will need the strongest you can get.  I will make an axe for you."

"I'm handy with an axe," he said.

"Good.  Ai and Makoto, the weapons I have for you are enchanted short swords.  The poisonous darts will do nothing to them."

"We've never used swords before," Ai said.

"Now is a time to learn," Shibumi said.

"Do we get weapons?" Jenrya asked, gesturing to his sister.

"Not unless you want them," he said.  "Your martial art skills are uncanny and behind that you have spiritual energy to add to your attacks.  With your amulets, you'll be able to use them."

"My mages," Shibumi turned to Juri and Takato, "your weapons are already magical.  Magic cards and an ability to create illusions will be enough on the demons."

Juri took out a card, "do you have more?"

"I do," Shibumi replied.

"Shibumi, can you help me control the illusions?" Takato asked. "After making the raccoon, I was left very weak."

"Yes, it will take you some time to become strong enough to master them," Shibumi said.  "But your amulet will help you with that.  All you have to do is simple.  Just imagine something and it becomes real.  You can make it as real or an illusion as you wish. It is yours to control."

Takato nodded. "I'll just have to practice."  
"Yes, practice makes perfect," Shibumi said, "so let's get practicing."

**TBC**  


	11. Danger Lurking

**Broken Worlds 10**

**Danger Lurking**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Tamers._

Shibumi instructed the Demon Seekers to get to know how to use their new weapons.  They trained vigorously for hours on end.  Takato wanted to ask him a few questions about his ability.

"How am I supposed to make an illusion without it taking too much energy from me?  It nearly took all my strength to make that giant raccoon to eat the rooster."

"It will drain some of your energy at first," Shibumi explained.  "You need to practice with illusions until you can summon creatures.  Try to confuse your enemies before you destroy them with a creature you summon."

"How?"

"Use your imagination," Shibumi answered with a grin.  "That, Takato, is your greatest strength.  You have a great imagination and you can use that to your advantage.  With enough practice and will power," he touched Takato's forehead, "what you have in here, will come out here." He gestured to the space around him.  "You can make the illusions as real as you want to.  Now go and imagine your reality."

Takato nodded and went outside.  He took out some of his sketches and tried to ponder on them. Al he had to do was imagine something and make it appear.  He focused on a tree in front of him. With a little hard work, he could make it look like something else.  He closed his eyes and made the branches lengthen, the trees come into claws, it seemed to be working and then he heard a scream.

He opened his eyes to see Ai backing away from the tree.  "That thing is---"

Takato stopped the illusion.  "It as just an illusion, Ai," Takato said.  "Did you see it?"

"Yes, I did."

He smiled, "it worked.  I'm starting to get the hang of this illusion casting."

"I'll say so," Ai said, "but do you have to cast them so well?"

He chuckled, "I do if we want to beat the demons."

"I'll go see Makoto," Ai said.  "We need to train."

Juri took out a card from the bag around her waist and held it out in front of her.  Shibumi watched as she sent a bolt of lightning to her imaginary target.  He clapped, startling her.

"I didn't know you were watching me," she gasped.

"You are very good with those, Juri," Shibumi said.

"Thank you," she put the card back in her purse, "I've had enough practice.  But I wish I had more than these cards."

"The cards are very powerful," Shibumi insisted.  "What more would you need?"

"What if I lost these cards?" Juri asked.  "I have no other way to defend myself.  I wish the power was inside me, but my mother died before she could show me. I learned how to use the cards by myself."

"You wish to use a wand?  Or cast spells on your own?"

"I feel like I have no magic in me," She whispered.  "It's only the cards.  They could work in anyone's hands."

"I disagree."

"Hmm?"

"Only a mage can perform magic," Shibumi insisted.  "You do have magic inside of you and you will find that you don't need the cards.  You've used them so much that you can perform a spell on your own if you wanted to."

"There are no magic words on the cards for me to memorize," she said.  "I don't know any.  The cards are my only magical item.  I just hope I don't lose them.  I have to keep them on me at all times.  My skills are important to the group.  Shibumi, I'll need to use your cards."

"You have plenty."

"Yes, but I need more," she said.  "Different levels.  I have mostly minor levels here.  They won't be enough on the demons."

"Come with me then," he told her.

She followed him upstairs and he pulled out a box from a shelf.  He blew off the dust and opened it.  

"You may take as many as you wish," he stated.

"Thank you," she said, filing through the cards.  A few of the cards she already had in her possession.  "Ah, you have an armor protection card."

"Take it."

"This may come in handy," she said, putting into her purse. She took a higher-level invisible shield card and level five cards in fire, lightning, wind and ice.  "The highest level I have in these is three.  There are five levels to each card."

"You know a lot of these spell cards," he told her as she chose more cards.

"I've used them many times since I was a little girl."  She explained, "it's interesting, I never liked fighting as a child. I didn't like to see people get hurt, but I knew I would have to use these some day.

"I'll leave you to these," he told her.  "I'll check to see how the others are doing."

"Thank you."

Juri tried out the next levels of the cards as he went to watch Shuichon practice fighting with Jenrya.  He was impressed at Shuichon's speed.

"Did you learn all that from the animals?" Shibumi questioned.

The siblings stopped fighting and Shuichon turned.  "Yes. I did."

"She even has acute senses like animals," Jenrya explained.  "Sight, smell, hearing…"

"That's interesting," Shibumi said. "Those skills will come in handy once you get to the demon world.  It is like the night all the time and there will be smells there that you have never smelled before."

Shuichon snorted just thinking about it.

After hours of training, Shibumi provided them with a meal and some more information. "Travel north to the mountains.  There is a tower for your amulets there.  You need to put your amulets in the spaces until you can go on further."

"What will happen?" Ai asked.

"That is for you to find out," Shibumi explained.  "You should leave immediately.  Time is running out.  You can't stop to rest."

"But the sun will set in a few hours," Kenta said.  "Alice told us only to travel by day."

"When it gets dark you will find the gateway to the demon world," Shibumi explained.  "Travel north to the mountains.  It will be cold. Take what you can carry and hurry."

Knowing better than to argue with a wise man, the demon seekers finished their meals and left.  Though weak and tired, they pushed them selves onward.  They came closer to the mountains and the air was getting thin.  There was not enough oxygen in their blood to keep moving. Shuichon, however, was in the front of line thanks to her animal senses.  A relative of a camel lives in the high Alps and can survive high altitudes because they have more oxygen in their blood.  Shuichon was like a human, but because she was around animals for so long, she was like an animal as well.  

"All we need to do is climb," she said.  "It's not that steep."  She reached her hand into a crevice and began climbing.  Ruki started climbing next and she used her sword as a pick.

"Be careful, Shuichon," Jenrya said, climbing up after them.  Ruki looked down at him.

"I'm sure she'll be all right," Ruki insisted.  "She's doing better than all of us."  The others started to climb, hoping they would reach the top soon.

Juri, however, cheated a little. She used a cart to levitate herself to the top. "I will wait for you," she said to them, rising up the mountain.

"Cheater," Ruki hissed under her breath.

"Why not taking one of us with you, eh?" Hirokazu asked with a yell.

"I can barely breath," Mako complained.

"We are almost there," his sister insisted.  "We need to keep moving."

He took in deeper breaths and continued to keep climbing.

Juri made it to the top and waited at the edge to help the others up.  "What's it like, Juri?" Shuichon asked.

"Take a look for yourself," Juri said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the top.  She pointed to a ravine between two mountains.  "I see the tower."

"So all have to do is put our amulets on there," Shuichon breathed.

Ruki was just two feet from the edge.  She heard something give underneath her.  She looked down to see Jenrya about to fall down. She gasped and grabbed his arm before he fell. He looked up at her in surprise.  

'I cant believe she caught me,' he thought.

Ruki was also surprised.  'I just saved a man's life.' 

Shuichon gasped, "Jenrya, are you all right?"

"Yes."  

Shuichon looked down. 'I don't believe it. Ruki saved my brother, but why?'

"You should be more careful," Ruki muttered and resumed climbing.  She got to the top and again, lent Jenrya her arm and helped him to the top.

If Shuichon were the same sweet girl she was as a child, she would've thrown her arms around Ruki and thanked her over and over. But Shuichon was still trying to understand what Ruki did, and why.

Ruki stayed at the edge and helped the remaining climbers up.  They stopped to get their breath.

"So what now?" Hirokazu demanded.

"We find the tower," Kenta reminded him. "And we put our amulets in the holes."

"It's over there," Juri said. "It's on the other side of the ravine."

"One of us will have to go," Shuichon said. "We all won't be able to make it over this and the pole is only big enough for one person anyway."  She squinted.  "And it looks like the spaces for all of our amulets have been destroyed. There's just one hole left, on the top."

"Yes. I can teleport myself there."

"No, I will go."  Shuichon said.  "I can make it."

"Shuichon don't do it!" Jenrya shouted.  "it's dangerous.  Let Juri go."

But she didn't listen to him.  She backed up to the edge of the mountain and stretched her legs.  "I have to, Jenrya.  If something happens, Juri can do it."

"But--"

"Don't try to stop me," she hissed.  "I must do this, for myself. You know about my jumping ability."  And she took a deep breath, broke into a run and as she got to the edge of the ravine, she bent her legs, lurched forward and laughed into a high long jump.  

"Will she make it?" Ai asked.

"I hope so," Makoto replied.

Shuichon ran in mid air, holding out her hand.  She almost fell through the ravine but she grabbed onto the grass around the pole.  She pulled herself and let out a sigh of relief.  "I made it."

She brushed the dirt off the top of the pole, took her amulet and placed it into the hole.  In a moment, she will wish that she let Juri do the job. The ground began shaking and Shuichon and to wrap her arms around the pole to keep from falling.  

"What is happening?" she demanded.

"Shuichon, get over here!" Her older brother ordered.

"I can't!" she exclaimed.  "It's shaking! There's something coming!" She looked down at the ravine and screamed. "Oh no….FIRE!"

"I'm going after her," Juri said.  "Hold on, Shuichon!"

Fire consumed the whole ravine, preventing Juri from getting to Shuichon. There was a laughter within the fighter.

"This is as far as you go, humans!"

"It's a deva!" Kenta exclaimed.

The fire pulled together and became a dragon.  "Foolish humans!"

"I guess we don't have to guess its element," Hirokazu said.  "Juri, blast this thing!"

"You've got it," she said, pulling out her strongest ice and water cards.  "I'm going to put this fire out!"  She held both cards in front of her and a wave of water launched toward the dragon, followed by giant blocks of ice.  The water evaporated off its fiery body and the ice melted.

"You will have to do better than that," the dragon said, flying toward them, making the trees burn.

"I used my strongest cards," Juri said, "I've got nothing left!"

"What do we do now?" Ai wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Juri replied.  "It is too strong."

The clouds came together and thundered.   It started to rain.

"It's raining," Kenta said.  "How?"

"Must…" Takato said, squeezing his eyes shut, "must…keep control…"

The water turned into hail.  Though it was just an illusion, it seemed to drive the dragon off a bit.  "NO!" It hissed.

Now Takato made it seemed like it was snowing.  He made the snow form a frozen monster.  

"It's so cold," Juri whispered.

"Please….let this work," Takato chanted.  "Snow monster…I demand you get destroy that dragon!"

The snow monster threw a punch toward the dragon, turning its fiery breath into water vapor.  The snow monster seemed to be taking the dragon off guard.

"It's working!" Hirokazu exclaimed. "Come on, Takato, concentrate!  You can do it!"

"I'm…trying," he grunted.  

The dragon was now pushed to the edge of the ravine. The snow monster froze its wings off.  Shuichon was still holding tight to the pole, fearing for her life.

"Please, let it be over soon!" she exclaimed.

The snow monster took a deep breath and blew a frozen wind onto the dragon.  The head from the dragon made the snow monster melt a little but it wasn't giving up.  It kept blowing the frozen wind onto the dragon, putting it in a frozen prison.  The monster now pushed the dragon over the edge and the dragon grabbed its arm in its claws.

"Oh no!" Jenrya gasped.

"Now Juri," Takato muttered, "your water card, use it on them both!"

"But the snow monster will--"

"Just do it," Takato snapped, fighting to keep control of the illusion.  "Before I lose it!  Quickly!"

Juri took out her water card and sent the wave of water to both creatures. They were forced off the edge and fell to the bottom of the ravine. The demon seekers watched them fall as the snow monster melted and the fire dragon lost its fiery body.  Water rose up the ravine, forming a river.  With the snow monster gone, Takato didn't have to keep the illusion going and he fell to his knees.

"Well done, Takato," Jenrya said.

"I'll never get used to this summoning stuff," Takato muttered.

"You can come now, Shuichon!" Ai said. "The fire dragon was beaten!"

Shuichon opened her eyes at let out a gasp. She looked down at what she once saw fire in the ravine, now water.  She put her amulet back on.

"Amazing!" she exclaimed, diving into the water and swimming to the other end.  Ai reached out her hand to help her out.  "Now all the Devas have been defeated."

"We just have the demons to worry about now," Ai said.

A portal opened up behind Juri and a giant, skeletal hand grabbed her. She screamed, trying to fight out of its grasp. "No! Someone help me! Takato!"

"Juri!" Takato ran toward her, his hand out stretched.  He was too tired to move.

"Let her go!" Ruki took out her bows and arrows and shot the hand.  There was a scream from whatever the hand belonged to but it didn't let go of Juri.  It tightened around her, making her purse containing all her cards was ripped opened and her cards started to fall out as she was pulled into the portal.

"My cards--no!" she exclaimed. "Help!"

Before he got to the portal to grab Juri, Takato fell down and the portal closed.  "NO!" He hit the ground repeatedly.  "She's gone! Juri!"

"What do they want with Juri?" Ruki questioned. "Why did they take her?"

"I don't know," Hirokazu mumbled.  

"The demons want people who feel negative emotions," Shuichon recalled, "but it doesn't make any sense.  Juri never shows any negative emotions.  None at all."  Shuichon frowned. 'Why didn't they take me?' she thought. 'Don't they know about my fear of fire?  Didn't they see how cowardly I was just now when the fire dragon came out of the ravine?  Juri was the first to strike--what do they want with her?'

"We have to go in after her," Takato said.  "She lost all her cards.  She won't be able to defend herself."

"How?" Jenrya said. "The portal's closed."

"We'll find a way," Takato said.  "We've got to.  Juri needs us!"

**TBC**


	12. Power of Love

**Broken Worlds 11**

**Power of Love**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tamers.

"We've got to get to Juri!" Takato cried.  "There must be a way."

"We'll get to her, Takato," Jenrya insisted.

Shuichon turned around and walked to the edge.  "The pole," she whispered. "That's it! All we have to do is put our amulets in the spaces.  We'll have to swim across."

"Good thinking," Ai said.  "We won't have to jump."

"Hurry," Takato urged.  "I don't even want to think what they're doing to Juri now."

They swam across the water and pulled themselves up on the small bit of land surrounding the pole.  

"For Juri," Takato whispered and they one by one put their amulet in the space.  A portal opened up in front of them, bleak and dark and vibrating with terrible cries. 

"I'm afraid," Shuichon said.

"We must go," Hirokazu said, "That is why we came here."  He gulped, "all right, after you, blood brother." He pushed Kenta in front of him.

"Hirokazu!" Kenta gasped.

 Calling for Juri, Takato was the first one to go through the portal.  The others followed, though a little reluctant.  How would they get back?

They were dumped in a wasteland of a world.  It was windy, cold and dark.  There was a deep, strong stench of death in the air.  Shuichon quickly covered her nose.  The stench stung her nostrils, due to her enhanced sense of smell.

"It smells very bad here!" she coughed.  "Rotting flesh everywhere!"

"I smell it too," Jenrya said, bringing his hand to his nose.  

"I can't wait to get back home," Hirokazu said.  "If we can."

Something appeared in font of them.  It was florescent yellow with long claws and ugly face.  

"What is that thing?" Kenta demanded.

"Whatever it is," Ruki said, pulling out a magic arrow, "it's dead now!" she fired the arrow and grunted when it was hit, disappearing in front of them.  "I must've gotten it."

"No you didn't," Shuichon said.  "I still smell it."

The monster reappeared behind Shuichon, jumped and high kicked the monster's head off.  "Hidden," she said.  "That's what this was.  They disappear when they're hurt. I smell more nearby."

"Great," Hirokazu said, "that thing has friends."

Groups of hidden appeared in front of the demon seekers and they slashed at them with their long claws.  They cornered on them but demon seekers kept fighting.  More different and ugly demons came to give the demon seekers a not so warm welcome.  

"We don't have time for this," Jenrya muttered after sending a sprit attack.  

"Speak for yourself," Hirokazu said, "I kind of enjoy this!" He shot a great number of demons.

"Destroy what you can and let's keep moving," Takato insisted.  "I'm certain Juri is in that tower!"

***

Takato was right.  Juri was inside a cold, damp and tall tower.  She was bound to a wall with chains and she hadn't any cards to free herself.  If only she knew a spell by heart, she would be able to get out of here.  But she had lost all her cards and she was nothing without them.  Juri had to physically try to get out of the chains herself but it was impossible. They were too strong.

"You can't keep me here!" she shouted. "What do you want from me?"  
"Your body, of course," answered a loud voice.

"I demand that you let me go!"

"Never, Juri."

"Who are you?" she questioned. "Show yourself!"

The ceiling began pulsating. There was something inside it.  Juri shivered as a membrane dropped down and opened.  There was a sick, slithering sound coming from inside.  A little yellow blob fell on the floor, followed by another and another. Each blob pulsated as a voice filled the room.

"I have no name," it said.  

"Demons really don't have names, do they?" she demanded.

The blobs came together to form a humanoid, faceless form. It shimmered yellow and green.  Juri didn't even want to think what it was made out of.  It reeked of something awful.  The being stepped in toward her.

"But soon I will," it growled. "I'll a part of you."

"Never." She said. "Demons possess those who have negative emotions.  I never felt hate toward anyone!"

"You lie."

She gasped.

"You're not as innocent as you look, Juri," It told her.  The thing reached out its inhuman arm and placed its fingers underneath her chin.  She shook her head away.

"Don't touch me!"

"Do you remember when your mother died?  How sad and angry you became?"

Juri forced herself not to remember.  "I don't know what you're talking about."

It chuckled and mimicked her voice, "Why my mother? Why did she have to die?"

Juri spun her head to it. "You're talking in my voice."

"You were so saddened by the loss of your mother.  Then your stepmother came into your life and you resented her for trying to replace your real mother."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?  Then how come you never became close to her? Is it because she wasn't a witch?  That she didn't know how to use the cards?"

"Quiet!"

"You were upset that your mother never told you what she was and what you were.  You had to come across that box of cards on your own, learn them yourself."

"What does that have to do with anything?"  She questioned.  "If only I had a card with me--you'll be no more!"

"But you don't now, do you?  After you learned how to use the cards," the being went on, "you were hungry to learn more.  Expand your skills beyond those cards."

"So?" she turned her head.

"But no one could teach you." The creature's neck stretched toward her.  "But I can help you with that, Juri.  Become one with me and I can extend your powers. You wouldn't need those pathetic cards anymore.  Together, we can be invincible!"

"No!" she hissed. "I won't do it.  You can't possess me. I won't let you.  I never hated anything. Just because I was sad in my youth doesn't mean--"

"Oh, what about the rat deva?" the creature asked. "You became so full of hate."

"That's not true!" she cried. "I was defending myself."

"But you were angry. So angry for it killing your beloved pet, your parents and invading your village, were you not? You wanted to make that thing pay."

"Maybe…I was a little angry," she whispered. "But I did what had to be done!  That is what makes our emotions important.  You take our emotions and change them into something different.  It's how we feel that makes us act.  I never acted out of hate, never!"

"You don't know yourself very well, do you?" he asked. "You can't resist me Juri.  I know too much about you. I knew that you would be perfect for me. You can give me a body."

"My body does not belong to you," Juri hissed.  "My friends will come for me and you'll be gone.  You just wait. They'll be here!"

"I cannot wait," it leaned toward Juri and Juri pressed her back to the wall.  "Then I could give them something to see.  Wouldn't they enjoy watching me and you become one?"

Juri sneered.  "You're sick!"

***

Shuichon stopped.  "I can hear Juri."

"Where?" Ruki asked.

"From the tower," she replied.  "You were right, Takato.  She's in there."

"Then that's where we're going."  Takato said.  "Keep fighting. I have a plan. You've got to make a path for me."

"We'll stay here then," Ryo said, "and you get Juri."

"But let me help you out a bit," Takato said. "You can catch up with me when you can."  He squinted in trying to make an illusion on the monsters.  They stopped fighting the demon seekers, turned and began attacking each other.  

"Amazing," Ai said.

"Go Takato!" Jenrya urged.

Takato held the illusion as long as he can, running toward the tower.  His concentration on the illusion and running to the tower was too much for him to once and he ended the illusion once he made it.  Whatever demons were left, the demon seekers fought as Takato entered.

"Juri, I'm coming for you!" he announced.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ruki saw a creature swoop down to Ryo.

"Ryo, watch out!" she warned, shooting the creature with an arrow.  She and Ro were both surprised.  'I saved him,' she thought.  'I must be getting soft.'

Ryo smiled, "Thank you."

"Thank me later," she insisted.  "Let's just destroy all of these damn things so we can save Juri!"  After shooting arrows at the monsters, she soon ran out.  She reached her hand to her quiver, finding that the arrows were gone.  "Blast! I'm out of arrows!"  She threw her bow down and pulled out her sword.  "Die!"  

"We're almost done here," Jenrya said, amazed.  "Hurry!"

Ruki twirled her sword around, plunging it into the chests of her enemies.  A fire monster came upon them, starting a fire.  Shuichon fought hard not to show any fear but she was reminded of the time a torch fell on her bid in her childhood.  The fire spread around, separating the demon seekers from each other.  Ruki was caught in the fire.

"Ruki is trapped!" Shuichon gasped.  

Ruki, however, didn't show any fear.  She tried to get out somehow.  "Keep going!" she yelled.  "Forget about me!"

Shuichon knew what she had to do.  This was her one chance to face her fear, or Ruki would die.  Before she came to the tower, she couldn't have fear or hate in her heart anymore.

"I'm coming, Ruki!" she cried out.  

"Shuichon, no, I'll go!" Jenrya said.

"If I don't do it now," Shuichon said, "I'll always afraid of fire!  I have to go get her!" She ran to the fire, jumped over the flames and grabbed Ruki's  "Come on!"

Ruki looked surprised.  "Shuichon, I thought you were afraid of fire."

"Let's go!  You have to jump with me."

"All right."

They turned back to the flames and jumped over it together. The flames licked their feet, searing them a little but other than that, they didn't get burned too badly.

"You saved my life, Shuichon," Ruki said, amazed.

Shuichon smiled.  "Well, I couldn't stay afraid of fire forever."

***

"Juri! Juri!"

"Takato," Juri whispered.

"Your friends have come for you, I see."

Takato pushed open the doors and flinched when he saw Juri. "Juri?"

"Takato!"

Takato tightened his fists. "Let Juri go!"

"I don't think so," the monster said, "I've become quite attached to her."  It laughed and held her head up in its hand.  Juri whimpered.

"Get your hands off of her! Don't you dare touch her!"

"How do you expect to stop me, illusionist?" it demanded.  "You think you can be better for me? Once I take control of Juri's body, I will become invincible."

"I told you I won't have it," Juri muttered.  

"The others are on their way," Takato said. "Your demon guards can't hold them off for long. Listen to that? Those are the screams of your demons.  The demon seekers have come to put you out of our world forever!"

"You're wrong, boy," the creature said. "You cannot stop me."

Takato felt so angry.  He couldn't bear to watch that thing with its hands on Juri.  He wanted to rip it apart but he couldn't.  He remembered what Shibumi advised.

_"It is very important that when you come in contact with a demon or evil spirit, that you do not show any fear of hate."_

It was easier said than done.  He hated watching Juri in danger.  He hated that he wasn't strong enough.   Takato can't remember when he felt so full of hate.

"You hate me, don't you?" the creature asked.

"More than anything," he said.  "You monster."

"Then attack me if you think you can.  Go on…give me a little show."

Takato concentrated on making an illusion for the creature, but it didn't seem to affect him at all.

"Pathetic." It growled. "That all you got, weak one?"

The rest of the demon seekers came in. They looked tired and ragged, but they have made it.

"What is that?" Hirokazu demanded.

"It's…a demon of some kind," Kenta said.

"It's after Juri," Takato said.

"So that's why you took her," Ruki muttered.  "You plan to possess her, don't you?  Like another has possessed me.  You're going to possess her instead of one of us because Juri can bring us back.  You monster!  Let her go."

"I could possess one of you now," he said, "she hasn't the card to save you. But I choose Juri anyway.  The poor girl has had it rough and I want to be there for her every way I can."

"You…" Ruki charged the monster and stabbed him with her sword. It went through him like jelly.  He didn't bleed or show any pain. "What?"

"Foolish girl. You can't stop me."  He picked her up by the throat and tossed her to the floor.

"Ruki!" Ryo exclaimed. He put his arms around her and growled at the monster.

"We won't let you do this to Juri," Jenrya said.  "It's our destiny to destroy you."

"Just as it is my destiny to take over Juri's body."

"You don't' know the meaning of destiny!" Juri exclaimed.

"Silence!" he turned on her.  "In a moment, you won't know anything except what it is like to be a part of me." The humanoid monster fell into a blob again and oozed itself onto Juri's legs. She tried to kick it off as it inched up her body.  

Takato was shaking with anger. "Leave her alone!"

"I can't stand to watch this," Hirokazu said, raising his crossbow.  Kenta stopped him.

"No, Hirokazu! You could hurt Juri!"

Before the body consumed Juri whole, Takato remembered something else Shibumi said.  He had to focus on his positive feelings. The demons didn't understand anything about kindness or love.  

"Stop!  Leave Juri alone," he cried, stepping forward. "Take me instead! Juri has no negative feelings whatsoever! She is the nicest person I know."

"Not true," it said, continuing to consume Juri.  "She has felt fear and anger, even hate."

"Maybe on a few occasions," Takato said, "but I've been angry a lot of the time!  Let Juri go. She's not the body you want.  You want a body, then take mine!"

"Takato, what are you doing?" Jenrya asked.  "don't do it. He'll destroy you!"

"Take anyone of us," Ruki said.  "Just let Juri go."

"No, Takato!" Juri cried. "I don't have the card to bring you back! I've lost all my cards."

"I've been hungry for power," Takato went on. "I want to be a stronger illusionist.  Take me instead. Juri is already strong enough. She doesn't need you."

"You will sacrifice yourself?" the monster asked.

"Yes."

"How noble."

"I want you to take me," Takato insisted.  "I have felt so angry that I didn't know I was an illusionist. If I knew I had this power I would've practiced it more.  If you take me then I can become stronger."

The blob began to slide down Juri.  "Ah, you wish to volunteer yourself? Become apart of me?"

"Yes.  Do it. "

"Don't do it, Takato!" Juri shouted.  "Forget about me!"

"I like that," the creature said, removing itself from Juri's body. "It's done then! Give yourself to me!"

"Takato, no!" Jenrya grabbed him.

"When the time comes," Takato ordered. "I want you all to get out of here!"  

"We can't just leave you here!" Ruki cried.  

The chains that bound Juri to the wall let her go and she was dropped to the ground.  She looked up at Takato in horror as the demon consumed him. "Takato!" she cried through her tears. "No!"

Before the jelly blob covered his entire face, Takato mouthed something to her that Juri would never forget.

"I love you."

**To Be Concluded**


	13. Epilogue

**Broken Worlds **

**Epilogue**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Tamers_

Juri could not believe it. Takato had given himself up for her. It was a sacrifice that the others could not comprehend.  

"No," Juri muttered, "no!  How dare you take Takato away from us! I was the one you wanted in the first place!  I'll never forgive you!"

The monster inside Takato laughed.  "This body…it's so strong!  I will not leave!"

Takato's eyes glowed red and his body shifted into something less than human.  

"We have to get out of here," Jenrya said.

"No, we cannot leave Takato behind!" Juri shouted.

"That's what Takato told us to do!"

"Something is happening!" Shuichon cried.

The possessed Takato waved his arm and created an illusion so real, that no one was immune to it.  Each illusion was different for each individual. Ruki first saw her father.

"Ruki," he said.

"Father?" she asked.  "Is it really you?"

"Yes, I've come back."

"I thought I'd never see you again!" she exclaimed.

"I'm here too, Ruki," said a familiar voice.

"Jaarin!" Ruki gasped.  "My friend."

The illusion was quite peaceful to Ruki.  She didn't want to believe anything else.  

"I never died, Ruki," Jaarin said, "I'm still with you."

"I've missed you so much," Ruki said.  

"Me too," Jaarin said.  "We can still be together, just like old times.  Remember?"

Ruki smiled.  "Jaarin…Father!"

Jenrya saw his family, alive and well.  Shuichon saw herself as a little girl with her big brother Jenrya.  Ai and Makoto saw their parents.  Hirokazu and Kenta saw their old home.  Ryo saw himself back in the arena, fighting side by side with the woman he loved.  All of their illusions were happy, except for Juri's.  She saw Takato being pulled away farther and farther away from her.  The closer she got to him, the farther away he was pulled away. He kept pleading for her to help him but there was nothing she could do. She never felt so helpless.

"Takato, come back to me please!" she yelled, clutching her head.  "This cannot be happening.  Takato!"  

The demon had them right where he wanted them.  They were lost in the little worlds he made for them. They were all under his control.  But then his concentration was broken for a slight moment.  Takato was trying to break free.

"Someone, help me," his voice rang out. "It's not real.  He is tricking you."

"What?" Ruki looked at her father and Jaarin, "wait…. Jaarin, you're supposed to be dead! And this…this cannot be real.  How can you be here?"

"It's not real, Ruki."  Said a girl's voice.

"Who said that?" 

"It's an illusion," A woman standing next to a giant dog appeared.  "Remember what happened to Takato?"

"That…monster," Ruki whispered. "How dare he play my feelings using my father and friend like that!"

"Your friend Jaarin is still around," Alice said. "If you concentrate, you can bring her to you yourself."

"We can fight him together, Ruki," Jaarin's spirit said.

"You really are here now? I'm so confused." Ruki said.  "I don't know what is real."

Jaarin settled her spirit into Ruki's body and tightened her hands around the sword.  "We will fight him together.  We can do it.  I'll lend you my strength.  I've come back, my friend."

"Demon Seekers," Alice's voice rang out, "the demon had possessed Takato's body.  He is fooling you. The only way to stop him is to destroy him."

"What about Takato?" Juri asked. "He will die."

"It's the only way."

"What's this?" the demon demanded. "No! This cannot be!"

The demon seekers opened their eyes and their illusions disappeared.  Alice had come to lend them her help. She stood defiantly next to her dog then pointed at the demon.

"Your reign of pain has ended." She muttered.

"Let's get him together, Ruki," Jaarin said within Ruki. "Now!" With Jaarin's strength behind her, Ruki pulled back her sword.  "Time to die!" She plunged the sword into Takato's heart.  Juri screamed.

"No!  You'll kill him."

"Takato would've wanted it this way," Jenrya said.  

Weakened, the monster stepped back.  "Fools, you cannot defeat me that easily."  The wound began to heal.

"If only I had a card," Juri mumbled.

"Card mage," Alice said.

"What?" Juri looked at her.  

"Do you remember what Shibumi told you? About demons living off negative energy?"

"Yes."

"And it's positive energy that can destroy them?"

"Yes."

"Focus on that energy.  Focus on your positive, good feelings and you will destroy him.  Then Takato will be freed."

"But I haven't a holy card.  It's impossible.  

"You don't need the card now," Alice insisted.  "Use the feelings alone.  I will help you."  She held out her arm and restrained the monster with a spell.  "Draw the evil spirit out and destroy him just by using your feelings for Takato."

Juri closed her eyes. Could she do it without the card? She had to try. She opened them. "Monster, you have used our feelings against us.  You fed off our greed, hate and fear.  Our emotions are powerful, even our good feelings. It is time you learned the power love, kindness, courage and faith!"  Juri's amulet floated up as she spoke.  "I will not let you inhabit Takato's body anymore.  It was our hate, anger, fear, and guilt that brought you to life, but we will use our love, happiness, courage and innocence to destroy you and this dark planet!  With our positive, good emotions, we will see you all perish!"  She held out her arm and without the holy card to aid her, began to draw the spirit out of Takato's body.  The spirit didn't want to leave and gave off a pretty good fight to stay.  Juri groaned in frustration.  "Takato, come back to me!  Try to force the evil spirit from you!"

"I can't just watch this," Hirokazu dropped his crossbow, "she needs her help!"  Hirokazu walked up beside her and put his hand around her wrist.    "You get out of Takato's body, you filth!" He shouted at the monster. "Takato is our friend!"

One by one, the demon seekers walked to Juri to encourage her to try harder or to embrace Takato.  Beads of sweat coursed over Juri's forehead.  Shuichon and Ai had her arms around Takato.

"Please," Shuichon said, "You must fight--you're the glue that keeps us together!"

"Takato, come back to us!" Ai cried.

Their amulets were glowing brightly and raising up around their necks.  They focused hard on their pleasant feelings and tried not to think about fear or hate.  They just kept happiness in their heart and the joy they looked forward to when this was all over.  

"I think it's working!" Hirokazu shouted. 

Juri cried out in frustration.  "I'm getting weak!  Can't…hold on…"

"Just a little more," Jenrya urged.  "You can do it!"

Juri closed her eyes and concentrated hard on the good times she had with Takato when they were younger.  They were the best of friends.  He was always so good to her. She played over and over the image of him mouthing "I love you," to her.  She hoped that she would be able to say the same to him and they can have more good times together.  She could not fail.  She wouldn't allow it.  Finding new strength, she opened her eyes and shouted with all her voice, "TAKATO, I LOVE YOU!"

The demon spirit screamed in frustration as it was ripped away from its host like a Band-Aid to a wound.  Takato winced and collapsed, with Ai and Juri still holding him.  The demon started to call upon the other dark spirits to aid him and as more dark energies came, Alice used her magical powers to destroy him with one mighty blow.  

Juri gasped and fell to her knees.

"We did it!" Kenta exclaimed. "Juri, see! You did it."

"I'm not done yet," she said weakly, pressing her hands to the floor. "The demon and evil sprits might be gone but this world still exists.  I'm going to make sure nothing inhabits this dark world again!"  Focusing again on pure thoughts, the dark, cold black stone floor began to change from Juri's hands, cleaning way the dirt and filth.  It was sparklingly white and clean, from the floors, to the walls, to the ceilings, down the stairs and outside the tower and onto the ground it touched, bringing grass, flowers and trees from the barren stone ground.  

 Shuichon took a deep breath.  "The smell is different. It's not like death anymore!  It smells--wonderful!"  She ran to the window and called everyone around her, as Juri concentrated on changing the world. 

Birds and butterflies were flying around the once dark world.  It looked like Earth almost.  The sky cleared up to blue, making a rainbow.  

The demon seekers were breath taken.  They couldn't' believe it.

"We've done it," Jenrya said in awe. 

"This must be what it used to be like," Ai said.

"Well done, demon seekers," Alice said. "I knew you could do it.  Now Earth will be saved too.  This place will be called the World of Dreams."

****

"Takato.  Wake up."

Takato felt like he was ripped from the inside out and yet, he also felt as if he was floating. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw a pair of beautiful brown eyes looking down at him.  He was lying down in Juri's lap right outside Shubumi's home.  The Earth was rejuvenated again.  Juri smiled.

"Takato, are you all right?" she asked.

"I believe so," He moaned.  "Did we…succeed?"

"Of course we did," she said.  "See?  We did it, Takato.  The demon's world has changed to the World of Dreams.  Now nothing can harm it or Earth again."

"Where are we?" he asked.

"We are at Shibumi's home," she answered, "for the celebration.  Do you want to come inside?"

"In a moment," he sighed, "I feel so dizzy."

"You'll be all right," Juri insisted.  

"How did I get here?" he asked.  "I was…."

"I was able to free you," Juri explained, "with everyone's help. Now, I am a real mage. I don't' need the cards anymore."

Takato smiled weakly.  "I'm glad you're all right."

A tear fell from Juri's eye.  "I was so worried that I'd never see you again.  I thought…we failed…when you…sacrificed yourself for me."

"I couldn't bear to see you go through that," Takato said. "I love you."

Juri's mouth twitched. "Takato…I love you too."  She lowered her head and Takato pushed himself up.  Their lips met in a lover's sweet kiss.

Ruki, however, didn't feel much like celebrating.  After having a bite to eat and collecting her reward form Shibumi, she started to leave Shibumi's house.  Jenrya followed her.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked.

"Why are you following me?" she demanded.

"We're a team," he said.

"I cannot stay," Ruki sighed.  "There are some things I must do. Things…that cannot wait."

"I understand."  

Ruki smiled.  "Thank you.  I'm glad that it's finally over."

"Don't you at least want to say goodbye to everyone?" Jenrya asked.

"I've already talked to Ryo.  He said I should go." Ruki said, "and, I'm not much good at saying goodbye."

"I see," Jenrya said.  "Farewell, Ruki and good luck."

"Thank you." Ruki replied. Jenrya took her hand, smiled and kissed her cheek, making her blush a little.  "Ah…yes, goodbye.  Please do say goodbye to Shuichon for me."

"I will."

Ruki smiled and turned around to take her journey.  

Hirokazu felt somewhat bored after the quest.  "Now I don't know what to do," He muttered to Kenta.  "How are we supposed to be bounty hunters in a perfect world? It's so dull…"

"It won't always be like this, you know," Shibumi said.  "There will still be outlaws for you to catch."

"I hope so," Hirokazu said.

"Hirokazu, we already have enough money," Kenta said.

"It's not about money anymore," Hirokazu said, "It's the thrill.  Thrill of doing something good. That's the real reward."

****

Days passed and though there was much peace, there was an outlaw to capture here and there, so Kenta and Hirokazu kept busy. When there wasn't a robber, they did good whichever way they could, like giving part of their money to the poor or playing with youngsters.  Ryo went back to the arena to fight.  Jenrya and Shuichon returned to their village, taking Ai and Makoto with them. Takato stayed with Juri at her tavern.  As for Ruki, she returned home. She knocked on the door of her childhood home, wondering if her mother was there and if she did, would she remember her? Would she let her in? Ruki wondered if she should search for her father but with all the men she killed, she might have killed him and never knew.

The door opened finally and she saw a middle aged woman with graying hair.  "Yes?"  It was her mother, but she didn't recognize her. "Can I help you?"

Ruki's mouth trembled.  "Mother?"  
Her mother gasped. "Ruki?"

Tears streamed down Ruki's face.  "Mother!"

"Ruki!"

They embraced each other and cried.  As her mother kept saying she wondered if she would ever see her again, Ruki kept apologizing over and over for running away.  She told her all about trying to survive in the wilderness, becoming a warrior in a gladiator arena, leaving the arena and becoming Midnight Fox and later being a Demon Seeker who saved the world.

"I have something to show you," her mother said, wiping her eyes.  She took out a box and pushed it to Ruki.

Ruki opened the box, finding letters to her, from her father.  Ruki gasped. "Father's…alive?"

"Yes." she said.  "I'm sorry I never told you, Ruki.  You were just a child.  I planned on telling you when you were older.  Your father didn't love me anymore and he left.  But he still loved you and he even said goodbye to you while you slept.  He wrote you almost every week, but you were gone. I held on to these, hoping you'd someday come back."

Ruki ripped open the many letters and read them.  They were all pretty much the same, her father telling her he missed her and loved her.  

"I want to see him," Ruki said.

"Then write back to him," her mother said, "and you can meet with him."

Ruki smiled and wrote back to her father.  She sent it off quickly and waited for his reply.  They were to meet the next day at her favorite spot by the lake.  There, she waited patiently for her father to come back. When she heard the neigh of a horse, she turned sharply.

"Father?"

A man dismounted from his steed and walked to Ruki.  "My little girl…"

"Father!" Ruki ran to her father and fell at his feet.  He bent down and took her in his arms.  "I missed you so much!"

It was the happiest day of Ruki's life.  There wasn't another sad day for any of the demon seekers, because they knew the result of bad feelings and they didn't want anything like that to happen again.

**END**


End file.
